Browsing by Author "Reiser, Fiona K. M."
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- Germanium-rich chalcopyrite from the Barrigão remobilised vein deposit, Iberian Pyrite Belt, PortugalPublication . Reiser, Fiona K. M.; Guimarães, Fernanda; Pinto, Álvaro M. M.; Matos, João Xavier; Carvalho, João R. S.; de Oliveira, Daniel Pipa Soares; Rosa, DiogoAnomalously high germanium contents have been detected by means of whole-rock trace element analysis in remobilised vein type copper ores from the abandoned Barrigão mine, located in the Iberian Pyrite Belt, southern Portugal. The late-Variscan brecciated copper ores consist manly of chalcopyrite, with minor tennantite, rare pyrite and arsenopyrite. The ores, investigated for elements increasingly used in several thin-film and other semiconductor high-technology applications (e.g. indium, selenium, tellurium and germanium), show germanium contents up to 280 ppm, with an average of 61 ppm from 10 samples. Electron Probe Microanalysis of Barrigão ore samples revealed that germanium is contained in chalcopyrite, with a range of 0.1 to 0.4 wt% (0.23 wt% average). High germanium contents seem to be linked to "dirty" chalcopyrite phases, showing irregular patchy zoning under the microscope and on back-scattered electron images.
- High-tech element availability for sustainable energy systems in the 21st century : The Iberian Pyrite Belt as a potential supplierPublication . Reiser, Fiona K. M.; Rodrigues, Carlos; de Oliveira, Daniel Pipa Soares; Rosa, DiogoThis work provides estimations on the future raw material demand for the thin-film photovoltaic (PV) elements indium, selenium, tellurium, germanium and gallium. Data calculation has been carried out on the basis of current energy and PV market outlooks. For indium, our calculation yields a maximum cumulative demand of 12 kilotons for the period from 2008 to 2030. The minimum demand for the same period is of 8 kilotons. Additionally, static depletion times for the elements in question have been determined. For indium, the static depletion time of 22 years shows that its supply is highly endangered, particularly if indium consumption for LCD and solar panel production stays on a high level or even increases. The situation for selenium, with a static depletion time of 53 years, is not much better. Therefore, in addition to recycling, the fundamental way to enhance material supply is through intensified exploration for mineral deposits. Such exploration could focus in promising areas, where high-technology elements are already known to exist in sulphide ore deposits, e.g. the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB), a metallogenic province known for its massive sulphide ore resources.
- High-tech element availability for sustainable energy systems in the 21st century :the Iberian Pyrite Belt as a potential supplierPublication . Reiser, Fiona K. M.; de Oliveira, Daniel Pipa Soares; Rosa, DiogoThis work provides estimations on the future raw material demand for the thin-film photovoltaic (PV) elements indium, selenium, tellurium, germanium and gallium. Data calculation has been carried out on the basis of current energy and PV market outlooks. For indium, our calculation yields a maximum cumulative demand of 12 kilotons for the period from 2008 to 2030. The minimum demand for the same period is of 8 kilotons. Additionally, static depletion times for the elements in question have been determined. For indium, the static depletion time of 22 years shows that its supply is highly endangered, particularly if indium consumption for LCD and solar panel production stays on a high level or even increases. The situation for selenium, with a static depletion time of 53 years, is not much better. Therefore, in addition to recycling, the fundamental way to enhance material supply is through intensified exploration for mineral deposits. Such exploration could focus in promising areas, where high-technology elements are already known to exist in sulphide ore deposits, e.g. the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB), a metallogenic province known for its massive sulphide ore resources.
- High-technology elements for thin-film photovoltaic applications :a demand-supply outlook on the basis of current energy and PV market growths scenariosPublication . Reiser, Fiona K. M.; Rodrigues, Carlos; Rosa, DiogoOn the basis of current energy and photovoltaic market outlooks and scenarios, the total growth rate potential of thin-film photovoltaic (PV) techniques have been analysed and calculated. For the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) Advanced Scenario [1] total thin-film PV annual production values of 2.4 GWp for 2010, 25 GWp for 2020 and 132 GWp for 2030, were calculated. These values were used to estimate individual annual production for each thin-film technology in order to predict the future thin-film PV material needs for indium, selenium, tellurium, germanium and gallium. Considering global reserve and refinery data, this work also provides estimations on the current static depletion time of these elements. Such estimations are of course an approximation but emphasise that some of the considered elements are highly constrained when assuming steady production rates. This is particularly the case for indium, for which we calculated a static depletion time of 22 years. Selenium and tellurium could be also in danger of running out soon if their consumption increases. This implies that additional efforts are needed in the exploration and evaluation of mineral deposits which can supply these scarce elements such as the deposits of the Iberian Pyrite Belt.