Dark alumina for novel solar receivers. (February 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sani, Elisa; Failla, Simone; Sciti, Diletta
• Is Part Of: Scripta materialia. Number 176(2020)
• Page Start: 58
• Page End: 62
• Publication Date: 2020-02
• Subjects: Alumina -- Solar absorber -- Concentrating solar power -- Solar absorbance -- Optical properties; Materials -- Periodicals; Metallurgy -- Periodicals; Metalen; Legeringen; Materiaalkunde; Metals, metalworking and machinery industries; Metals; Electronic journals; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2019.09.038
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-6462

Abstract

Abstract: Concentrating solar power is one of the most promising solar energy exploitation technologies. Its efficiency improvement needs a significant increase of operating temperatures, from the current 500 °C to 900 °C. Alumina (Al2 O3 ) ceramics are refractory materials characterized by a huge industrial interest, mature production techniques and low cost. In the present work, we successfully synthesized dark ceramic Al2 O3 bulks, to evaluate their potential as high-temperature solar absorbers for CSP. We investigated process-dependent ceramics composition, microstructure and optical properties, obtaining pellets with a solar absorbance even higher than that of SiC. Graphical abstract: Image, graphical abstract