Patent · US Expired

Method for producing solar cell-grade silicon from rice hulls

US4214920A · kind A · utility

23Cited by
9References
31Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 23, 1979
Grant dateJul 29, 1980
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 23, 1999

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T428/253
  • WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

The present invention relates to the production of high purity solar grade silicon from common rice hulls. A unique process for material purification and reduction includes leaching the rice hulls in acid followed by treatment with high purity water, coking the acid-cleaned hulls in a non-oxidizing ambient, compensating the carbon or silica content of the coked hulls to obtain a desired carbon to silica ratio and reducing the silica to produce high purity silicon.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.