Properties of Galena
Galena, also called lead sulfide, is a shiny, heavy, opaque gray mineral that has many uses, including use in solar cells. The rock is present throughout the world, including Russia, Germany, Mexico and the U.S, where it may be found in various places like Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas. The Roman scientist Pliny originally gave lead ore the name galena.
Uses of Galena
Galena is the most common mineral from which lead is extracted. This element is generally used for car and truck batteries, but there are other uses such as soldering material to join metals together. Other materials are being used increasingly as a replacement for lead, however, since the later can be harmful to human health.
Galena in Soldering
Lead from galena is used as one of the components of soft soldering material. This material has a low melting point and is composed of two parts lead and one part tin.
Galena Used in Solar Cells
Lead may be used in solar cells as in the case of the lead-cadmium-sulphide cell. Here the alloy is sprayed as a thin layer on a solar panel and acts as a semi-conductor.
Other Ways Galena is Used in Solar Cells
Lead in solar cells is used primarily in the soldering material used to hold the cells together. The element's use could be extended due to its semiconductor properties and its natural, global abundance. The silicon that is currently used is more expensive and harder to find. This switch is very unlikely, however, as lead is in the process of being phased out.
Elimination of Galena
As mentioned by scientists at Beijing University of Technology, there currently is a global push to get rid of lead in soldering products in electronics, which technically includes solar cells, emerging from environmental concerns (as of 2009). Manufacturing companies like Kester and Bellman-Melcor are offering lead-free soldering. Additionally, Mitsubishi produces a lead-free solar panel which needs no solder coating. The amount of galena (lead) used with solar cells may likely decrease or be completely eliminated in the future. Tin-silver and tin-antimony alloys are some of the alternatives to lead being used today.
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