Effect of Accumulation of Environmental Dust and Subsequent Mud Formation on Textural, Chemical, and Optical Properties of Silicon Wafers for Photovoltaic Cells

Accumulation of environmental dust and consequent mud formation on optically active surfaces block the incident solar radiation, and thus reduce the efficiency of photovoltaic cells. Silicon is widely used in photovoltaic devices. The aim of this work is to examine the consequences of accumulation of dust and adhesion of mud on the textural, chemical, and optical properties of silicon wafers. Morphological characteristics and elemental investigation of dust sample were performed by using SEM-energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDS). Dynamic light scattering method was utilized to determine the particle size distribution. The presence of major and minor constituent minerals was confirmed by using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Similarly, SEM-EDS, UV–visible spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction were employed to investigate the dried mud films. Microtribometer has been employed to find the work done against the adhesion of dry mud. The results specify that ionic compounds in the dust greatly affect the optical, mechanical, and morphological properties of silicon wafers. Moreover, they also enhance the work done against the dry mud removal upon drying.