Deterioration of Novel Silver Coated Mirrors on Polycarbonate Used for Concentrated Solar Power

Coraquetzali Magdaleno López, José de Jesús Pérez Bueno (), José Antonio Cabello Mendez, Rosalba Hernández Leos, Maria Luisa Mendoza López, Adrián Sosa Domínguez and Yunny Meas Vong
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Coraquetzali Magdaleno López: Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico en Electroquímica, S. C., Parque Tecnológico Querétaro-Sanfandila, Pedro Escobedo, Queretaro 76703, Mexico
José de Jesús Pérez Bueno: Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico en Electroquímica, S. C., Parque Tecnológico Querétaro-Sanfandila, Pedro Escobedo, Queretaro 76703, Mexico
José Antonio Cabello Mendez: Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico en Electroquímica, S. C., Parque Tecnológico Querétaro-Sanfandila, Pedro Escobedo, Queretaro 76703, Mexico
Rosalba Hernández Leos: Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Centro Universitario Cerro de las Campanas, Queretaro 76010, Mexico
Maria Luisa Mendoza López: Tecnológico Nacional de México, Instituto Tecnológico de Querétaro, Av. Tecnológico s/n Esq. M. Escobedo Col. Centro C.P., Querétaro 76000, Mexico
Adrián Sosa Domínguez: Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Centro Universitario Cerro de las Campanas, Queretaro 76010, Mexico
Yunny Meas Vong: Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico en Electroquímica, S. C., Parque Tecnológico Querétaro-Sanfandila, Pedro Escobedo, Queretaro 76703, Mexico

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 24, 1-17

Abstract: The lifetime of mirrors in outdoor conditions is crucial in the correct operation of any concentrating solar power (CSP) installation. In this work, the corrosion behavior of two types of metallized surfaces was studied. The first was made of a flexible polymer having a deposited reflective silver metallic film. The second was made of the same surface type with a dielectric SiO 2 protection coating by an atmospheric pressure plasma jet. Polycarbonate sheets were used as substrates on which metallic silver was deposited by the Dynamic Chemical Deposit technique. This electroless technique allowed producing the mirror finishing under environmental conditions by sequentially spraying; as aerosols projected towards the substrate surface, the activation and reducing-oxidizing solutions with rinsing after each one. The silver coatings were about 100 nm thick. Environmental and accelerated weathering degradation and salt and sulfide fogs were carried out. XPS analyses show that the corrosion products formed were Ag 2 S, AgCl, and Ag 2 O. It was observed that the tarnishing was initiated locally by the formation of Ag 2 S columns as eruptions on the surface. Subsequently, the ions diffused through the protective layer and into the silver reflective layer, chemically reacting with the silver. The main atmospheric agents were H 2 S, chloride particles, and HCl. High reflectance was initially obtained of about 95%. The obtained results suggest mechanisms for the degradation of exposed silver surfaces to moisturized atmospheres with corrosive compounds.

Keywords: solar; corrosion; silver; mirrors; APPJ; concentrated solar power (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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