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Researchers at the Guangdong University of Technology in China have created a silver paste for solar cell metallization that uses biomass lignin, aiming to cut production costs and make photovoltaic cell manufacturing more sustainable by substituting renewable, biomass-derived materials for conventional paste components, according to pv magazine.
The work centers on a dual lignin engineering approach that combines solvent fractionation with epoxidation grafting, converting renewable lignin into a functional binder for low-temperature curable silver pastes used in silicon heterojunction solar cells, corresponding author Dong Yu Zhu told the publication.
According to the reported comments, the optimized epoxidized lignin replaces one quarter of the petroleum-based bisphenol F epoxy resin and takes part in the curing and cross-linking network instead of serving as an inert filler. The same account states that this improves paste rheology and printability, raises the printed finger aspect ratio by 89.57%, lowers contact resistance by 62.43%, and strengthens adhesion.
The paste was developed specifically for heterojunction cells, where conductive silver pastes generally depend on epoxy resins to deliver mechanical strength, adhesion, flexibility, and durability through cross-linking during curing. The scientists noted that conventional epoxy resins are petroleum-based, comparatively costly, and prone to aging under prolonged sunlight exposure.
Lignin was chosen as an alternative because it offers strong ultraviolet absorption, antioxidant behavior, thermal stability, and reactive functional groups. Its use in resin systems can also enhance mechanical strength, toughness, and resistance to aging. Zhu described lignin as an abundant, low-cost, renewable biopolymer obtained as a by-product of the pulping and biorefinery industries.
The team examined two routes for adding lignin to low-temperature curable silver pastes. One directly blended fractionated alkali lignin with bisphenol F epoxy resin as a partial resin replacement. The other used chemically modified, epoxidized lignin that participates in the resin curing network. Both routes were meant to improve paste viscosity, printability, adhesion, electrical conductivity, and ultimately solar cell efficiency.
Alkali lignin and enzymatic hydrolysis lignin were selected, with the alkali lignin further fractionated using ethanol and ethyl acetate. The epoxidized lignin was then synthesized by chemically modifying the ethyl acetate-soluble fraction with a silane coupling agent. The silver paste contained three types of silver powder along with resins, curing agents, dispersants, and solvents. Total silver content was kept at 92-93 wt%, with a silver-to-resin ratio of 30:1.
Different lignin concentrations and resin substitutions were tested for their effects on paste performance. The mixtures were homogenized and processed with a three-roll mill before being screen-printed onto monocrystalline silicon wafers measuring 158.75 mm by 158.75 mm. The printed samples were then cured at 180 C for 30 minutes.
Characterization methods including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, rheometry, microscopy, and electrical resistance measurements were used to assess the chemical, mechanical, morphological, and electrical properties of the pastes. Power conversion efficiency of the resulting heterojunction solar cells was measured through current-voltage testing.
The analysis showed denser silver particle packing, lower internal porosity, and better contact between the silver electrodes and silicon substrates. These structural gains were also found to support continuous conductive pathways and reduce electrical losses.
The scientists reported that the epoxidized lignin formulation raised the power conversion efficiency of the heterojunction cells from 25.01% to 25.96%, which Zhu described as an absolute gain of 0.95 percentage points over the control and a sustainable bio-based route for high-efficiency heterojunction metallization.
Zhu concluded that adding an appropriate amount of epoxidized lignin promotes curing and cross-linking reactions, producing a stable three-dimensional network that improves paste rheology, printed grid morphology, interfacial contact, and electrical conductivity. Those improvements in the cured silver grid ultimately contribute to better photovoltaic performance in heterojunction solar cells, he said.
The research appears in the study titled Engineered lignin unlocks low-temperature curable silver pastes for high-efficiency silicon heterojunction solar cells, published in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells.
Interactive table based on the Store Companies dataset for this report.
Report Scope and Analytical Framing
Concise View of Market Direction
Market Size, Growth and Scenario Framing
Commercial and Technical Scope
How the Market Splits Into Decision-Relevant Buckets
Where Demand Comes From and How It Behaves
Supply Footprint and Value Capture
Trade Flows and External Dependence
Price Formation and Revenue Logic
Who Wins and Why
How the Domestic Market Works
Commercial Entry and Scaling Priorities
Where the Best Expansion Logic Sits
Leading Players and Strategic Archetypes
How the Report Was Built
Major integrated miner, silver by-product
Silver from zinc/lead processing
Significant silver producer
Major lead smelter, silver by-product
Integrated non-ferrous metals miner
Focused silver producer
Major smelter, silver by-product
Silver from copper refining
Silver from copper smelting
Subsidiary of China Nonferrous Metal Mining
Silver as by-product
Silver from tin/lead processing
Polymetallic miner
Focused on silver-rich mines
Precious metals focus
Silver as by-product
Precious metals
Holding company with mining assets
Silver from nickel/copper processing
Silver from various operations
Polymetallic producer
Historical silver producer
Silver from waste processing
Silver from battery material recycling
Secondary lead/silver producer
Integrated zinc-silver producer
Smelter with silver output
Historical mining group
Diversified metals
Silver as by-product from mines
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