American Chemical Society’s Heroes of Chemistry Award Presented to DuPont Photovoltaic & Advanced Materials Scientists for their Innovations in Metallization Pastes for the Solar Industry
WILMINGTON, Del.: Scientists from DuPont Photovoltaic and Advanced Materials (PVAM) were awarded the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) Heroes of Chemistry Award for their invention of DuPont™ Solamet® PV17x, the game-changing metallization paste that greatly improved the energy efficiency of solar cells.
Fine silver lines are printed on solar panels and their design leads to the efficient capture of the sun’s energy turning it into electricity. DuPont scientists made advances in lead-tellurite frit chemistry and commercialized it as multigenerational Solamet® metallization pastes creating a step-change in performance with increasingly higher cell efficiency and performance advantages. The majority of the PV industry has adopted tellurite-based silver pastes in essentially all p-type c-Si solar cells. These solar cells account for more than 90 percent of the overall $34 million annual solar module market.
Heroes of Chemistry is an annual award sponsored by the American Chemical Society that recognizes talented industrial chemical scientists whose work has led to the development of successful commercialized products ingrained with chemistry for the benefit of humankind.
This year the recognition goes to the collaborative effort by a diverse team of DuPont scientists who shared a common vision of advancing solar technology: Kurt Mikeska, Charlie Torardi, Paul VerNooy, Ken Hang, Brian Laughlin and Alan Carroll.
“ACS knows that good business results usually have good science as their foundation. As a result of our scientists’ dedication and commitment, our solar cell manufacturer customers were able to make more efficient cells, use less paste, expand the wafer firing temperature window, and improve adhesion during the panel making process,” said Chuck Xu, global business director, DuPont Photovoltaic and Advanced Materials. “These combined benefits contributed to improved solar cell performance and lower cost of ownership throughout the industry.”
As the world is striving for renewable energy to reach grid parity with fossil fuels, the role of scientists becomes more and more important. “DuPont™ Solamet® technology plays a central role in making solar panels more powerful and more cost-effective. The technology is fostering a fast-growing industry that is creating jobs while enabling sustainable living for humankind,” said Peter Dorhout, ACS president. “This is a strong example of chemistry having a direct, positive impact on society, which is why these inventors are clearly ‘Heroes of Chemistry.’”
The 2018 Heroes of Chemistry awards ceremony will take place Sunday, Aug. 19, in Boston. For more about the Heroes in Chemistry awards visit: www.acs.org/heroes
About DuPont Photovoltaic and Advanced Materials
DuPont Photovoltaic and Advanced Materials, a DowDuPont Specialty Products Division business, represents a portfolio of product solutions with over 40+ years of service to the solar, aerospace, automotive industries and many others. Our products deliver proven power and lasting value for the fast-growing photovoltaics sector, including DuPont™ Solamet® metallization pastes, DuPont™ Tedlar® films as well as photovoltaic silicones. The growing portfolio of DuPont Advanced Materials thick film compositions are used in a variety of electronic applications in the automotive, biomedical, industrial, military, telecommunications and electronic wearables markets. We are committed to continuing to innovate through time-tested science and engineering to solve today’s challenges. To learn more about the PVAM business, please visit http://photovoltaics.dupont.com and http://advancedmaterials.dupont.com.
About DowDuPont Specialty Products Division
DowDuPont Specialty Products, a division of DowDuPont (NYSE: DWDP), is a global innovation leader with technology-based materials, ingredients and solutions that help transform industries and everyday life. Our employees apply diverse science and expertise to help customers advance their best ideas and deliver essential innovations in key markets including electronics, transportation, building and construction, health and wellness, food and worker safety. DowDuPont intends to separate the Specialty Products Division into an independent, publicly traded company. More information can be found www.dow-dupont.com
