Amorphous Silicone Glass

[Boots]

Does anyone know what this is and where I can get it?

Does this exist in anything else, where I could recycle it? Like TV or computer screens maybe?

[Wombat]

G'Day Boots,

All glass contains amorphous silica (as opposed to crystalline silica) - where did you get the reference from?

Nev

[Boots]

G'day Nev, Does it???
I thought it must have been a special type of glass.
So are there certain glasses that have higher levels of A-si?

I am trying to identify something I can recycle into solar panels, and was hoping that maybe it may keep the glass from some of those electricals out of landfill.

While I am here... Why is the glass on TV's and monitors black when there is no light projecting through them? Do you know if that is something within the glass or a treatment on the back of them? I figure if this glass can 'project' energy then there is probably a good chance it would also collect it...?

[Wombat]

G'Day Boots,

The screens have a phosphorus coating that lights up when hit by electron beams from the cathode ray tube (CRT). That is not laptops or flat screen TVs which are liquid crystal display (LCD) technology.

Glass is made up of silica (sand) lime (Calcium oxide) and an alkali such as sodium carbonate, in various amounts. Plus additives such as colourants. So maybe what you are look for is a high silica glass. High silica glass is very resistant to heat ansd takes more heat to make. I think you would be best trying normal window glass, any losses would be more than compensated for by reduced cost and ease of access.

How does that sound?

Nev

[Boots]

The screens have a phosphorus coating

A phosphorus coating? We could be closer to a "Eureka!" than I'd thought... Either that or I might end up posting one of those black-face-and sticky-up-hair pics...

High silica glass is very resistant to heat

Meaning it deflects it, or continues to absorb high extremes of it?

A-si is a silicone additive of some sort... not sand (as in silica) I don't think. I am guessing it may be the additive used in todays no shatter windscreens, but am not certain.

Also - can you translate this for me? Is it saying that phosphorus minimises the effect of silicon, or heightens the conduction effect???

Measurements of the low-temperature specific heat of phosphorus-doped silicon for densities near the metal-insulator transition show an enhancement over the conduction-band itinerant-electron value.

[Wombat]

Wow Boots! That is pretty specific technical jargon and some of it doesn't make sense to me!

High silica glass can withstand higher temperatures than, say, window glass. Doping is (if I remember correctly) the adding of small amounts of an element into another material or compound to obtain a specific effect. This term is used in the electronics industry.

Are you after an amorphous silica wafer for making PV cells Boots? That is a technology I know bugger all about, maybe Martin or Muddy could chime in with some details..............

It is pretty high tech stuff, I used to be involved in making glass but this is a whole different ball game (in the American parlance). Good luck, mate!

Nev

[Wombat]

Ahhhhhhh! Amorphous SiliCON! Elemental silicon, not silica (silicon dioxide) - my mistake! I don't know of any source of this stuff - I used to have a lump and it was a light very metallic looking material - weird stuff! Lots and lots of luck Boots, I don't think the quest you have chosen is an easy one.

Nev

[Boots]

Well... I think MAYBE... I can recreate this property, Nev... well, the conducive activity anyway.

And I am going to begin experimenting by shallow boxing a TV screen and then I have to work out have to seal it and infill with gel and bi-carb (which should react with the phosphorous) and see if I can't produce some energy, when the matter gets active in the sun.

I think it will work, but can't work out if that quote above is telling me it will slowly decline or what? Dunno why those white coats don't just speak English. Australian would be even better.

I finally got around to moving that Chilli plant today, and the move was fairly uneventful. It did provide me with some thinking time though, and I really think this is something I will have to try as it may keep me up at night if I don't...

I will just let you know how I get on. Tomorrow is a building day, so not sure when I will be able to actually try this. Hopefully, it won't take as long as the chilli did...

Thanks for your help though And am glad its not just me who had trouble with the jargon.

[Wombat]

Good luck mate!

Let me know how it goes!

Nev

[Muddypause]

This is way out of my league - but I'm guessing that amorphous siliCONE could be useful in the breast enlargement industry.

However, I think amorphous siliCON is some sort of semiconductor type stuff.

Anyway, whichever one you're going for, Boots, we want to see photos, whatever it is.

[ina]

I, of course, managed to read the title as "amorous silicone glass"...

[Boots]

Um... not sure how to respond to that....

Enlargement? Heaven help me... the buggers get in the way enough as it is...

Amorphous Silicone Glass has tiny silicone beads that form part of the glass. I guess they do tend to get a bit amorous... when heated they get all active, like... exerting lots of energy that can be collected and channelled. I have no idea whether this might actually present like perspex or what... I'm thinking it must look like glass, but am really not sure. Was hoping someone else would know.

You both getting a tad excited about the ssish/green big day out, or what?