Alternative coating technologies for solar absorber films

Metal-ceramic nanocomposite films for solar absorbers have been obtained by electro-deposition technique. This coating technique uses a mixed solution of nickel nanoparticles and sub-micron alumina particles. The relative ration of Ni-to-Al in these films is varied by tuning the concentration of nickel and alumina particles in the starting solution. Three films with different Ni/Al ratios have been prepared and characterized with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Even in absence of any heat treatment, significant amounts of nickel in a metallic state have been found in all three samples.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye