Hybrid Organic Solar Cells Now More Efficient

Success greets the research team of National Research Council’s National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT) and the University of Alberta. The plastic solar cells have now an operating life of 8 months instead of mere hours. And they are low-cost, environmentally efficient, unsealed plastic dollar cells – a green energy source. Developing economically viable plastic solar panels and to produce them in large scale has been the long time goal for the scientists as the cost of ultra high-purity silicon used in the traditionally manufactured solar cells is quite prohibitive. These are the solar cells of future – to be available to common man easily. A University of Alberta-NINT team has been focusing on this for quite some time.

Prototype solar cell:
A multi-disciplinary team has been successful in developing a prototype solar panel. It was operating at high capacity for about 10 hours. After that, problems developed within which reduced the efficiency of solar cells. They found that electrode’s chemical coating was the root cause of the problem. For past few months, work has been going on to correct this problem.

Role of electrode:
Producing power from solar cells is the key responsibility of electrodes and the research team found that the unstable chemical coating started leaking around the circuitry of the solar cell and reduced production capacity. They developed a new coating which solved this problem.

New polymer coating:
The team led by David Rider, consisting of Michael J. Brett, Jillian Buriak from U of A-NINT has been successful in developing a durable and longer lasting coating of polymer for the electrode which stopped the chemical leaking that reduced the production capacity. This new polymer coated electrode makes the solar cell work at high capacity continuously.

Success story:
At the time David Rider and colleagues presented their research paper in Advanced Functional Materials on June 22, 2010, the solar prototype cell had performed already for 500 hours at high capacity. In the highly competitive field of plastic solar-cell technology, this research by U of A-NINT team is considered to be a great achievement. And the cell continued to work for 8 months altogether before being damaged in transit between laboratories.

Future:
The future looks bright for hybrid organic solar cells. In Rider’s words “Inexpensive, lightweight plastic solar-cell products, like a blanket or sheet that can be rolled up, will change the solar energy industry”.
(alternative.energy.news)

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Vigorous U.S. Build Solar Power

Cornerstone Power Development, a Chicago development company is preparing to build the fields covering 485 thousand square meters in the town of Coxsackie, New York.

Farm fields are not always built. With a capital of about U.S. $ 60 million, the field will be installing solar power plants first large scale that will produce electricity for 15 to 20 megawatts.

Projects in Coxsackie This also shows that even in New York, area with its famous cloudy weather, solar power plants remain functional.

We believe the sun is increasingly a resource that is very sensible, "said Daniel Somers, an executive of Cornerstone, as quoted from the Times-Union, Wednesday, July 28, 2010.

Cornerstone plans to build their solar power plants in agricultural areas, to facilitate the addition of land if required. The solar farm is estimated to have been able to produce energy in 2012.

Currently, the project construction of large-scale solar power plants are also being done in Long Island, New York. If successful, the installation of solar power plants on a larger scale will be built in the northeastern region of the United States.

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Robots Play Violin Up Baby Giant

Ever see a robot playing soccer? Robot technology is displayed in the exhibition that was held some time ago in Shanghai, China. Agility of his fingers in rhythm violin stunning the visitors. Just like a real violinist, Humanoid robot is able to bring melodic tunes of friction violin. This clever robot produced a giant Japanese automotive company, Toyota.

There's more amazing in this exhibition, namely parachuting in door. Here, for skydiving attraction need not open space. Quite simply with media alone wind tunnel blower.

Meanwhile, for your kids, maybe a giant baby can be exciting entertainment. His name Miguelin. 6.5-meter-high baby it's not a real baby but a baby doll made of silicon. Although the doll, capable of propelling Miguelin eyes and spread her smile.

Technological advantage is also shown in the cathedral, which are shown in thousands of bean seeds or 60 thousand hair fiber. This exhibition displays an amazing variety of technological innovations from 242 countries around the world.

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UNAIR Students Create Environmentally Friendly Plastics

Who said plastic will biodegrade in the soil long? Humaira, a student majoring in Chemistry Faculty of Science and Technology University of Airlangga (Airlangga University), Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, has denied this. Tuesday (20 / 7), 21-year-old woman was announcing the results of his research, eco-friendly plastic that is easily decomposed by soil within a week.

According Humaira, this is done because the plastic has been used often cause environmental pollution due to garbage piling on too long, so prone to flooding. "Plastics are typically pile up and pollute the environment for years could be degraded or decomposed by the soil only within less than a week," said the girl was born in Jombang.

Humaira explains, is a synthetic plastic food packaging materials that have a negative impact on the environment and human health. That comes from the synthesis of materials such as cellulose acetate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, polyester, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinyl acetate and aluminum foil. While plastics made from these materials are nonbiodegradable or can not be explained naturally by microorganisms in the soil.

Not only that, typically of synthetic plastics material added softener (plasticizer) that is not rigid and not easily fragile. This softener material consisted mostly of groups phthalate compounds (esters derived from phthalic acid). "In fact, the use of DEHA plasticizer such as PCBs and can cause tissue death and is carcinogenic in humans," said Humaira.

Humaira research provides a breakthrough alternative to this time through the development of biodegradable plastics are easily degraded by microorganisms in the soil and renewable resources. The materials used for the manufacture of biodegradable plastics include starches aloe vera, chitosan, with glycerol as a plasticizer.

"Aloe vera contains polysaccharides that can form a layer of plastic film which has antibacterial properties. While chitosan containing proteins to strengthen the mechanical properties or strength of plastics, as well as glycerol as a plasticizer in an environmentally safe to give flexibility or elasticity in the plastic," said Humaira. That is why, from the aloe vera biodegradable plastics has advantages, which are antibacterial and easily degraded by microorganisms in the soil.

Humaira also said plastics from starch and aloe vera-chitosan prepared by chitosan concentration of three percent, four percent, five percent, six percent and seven percent (w / v). Meanwhile, aloe vera and glycerol concentration is fixed which is five percent (w / v) and 10 milliliters.

About the method, Humaira explained, the methods used in the synthesis of plastics from Aloe vera-chitosan, which is inverse phase with the solvent evaporates at a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius. "For this characterization, including measurement of thickness of plastic, test the mechanical properties, swelling test, determination of morphology, and test the properties of biodegradable," Humaira explained.

From the research, obtained value attractiveness percentage elongation and modulus of plastic film on the optimal composition of chitosan, starch, aloe vera and five per cent compared to seven percent (w / v), which is 461.538 MPa, respectively, 6.2 percent, and 744.416 MPa. "The percentage of swelling (swelling), the optimum was obtained at the composition of plastic between the starch-chitosan aloe five percent compared to four percent (w / v), with a value of 12.5 percent. In addition, based on Scanning Electron Microscopy results (SEM) produced morphological The flat plastic film and not hollow, "said Humaira. Thus, in a test of biodegradable plastics from Aloe vera-chitosan using EM4 bacteria showed that the degradation of plastic film in just one week.

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In the Age This Feeling Most Beautiful Women

Who says the age of 25 years is the peak of beauty a woman? Women look very attractive when she was 31 years old. That's according to a survey conducted by the television shopping channel in the UK, QVC.

Generally women in the age of 31 years was married and had children. But, precisely at that age they not only look beautiful but also self-confident, have better taste in terms of style compared to adolescent girls.

Approximately 70 percent of those surveyed in 2000, believes self-confidence as a key factor in creating an attractive woman. Nearly 67 percent of which covers 47 percent of physical beauty and sense of style that included.

More than two-thirds of women surveyed have a proposition beauty comes with the coming of age. Then, almost half said that age makes them feel safer and feel more beautiful. Meanwhile, 55 percent of respondents feel they know the best makeup to wear.

Depictions of confidence is also very varied. In London, England, women represent the most relevant self-confidence about their appearance, with 37 percent consider themselves beautiful, while only 28 percent of Welsh women.

This research was conducted by QVC as a program launch 'Beauty Month'. "This study shows what must always be considered. Beauty actually more of an appearance but the combination of confidence, style and personality as well," said Sue Leeson, marketing director at QVC, just as it is quoted from the Daily Mail.

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