Recycling of CdTe photovoltaic waste

Patent · Tue Apr 27 00:00:00 EDT 1999

OSTI ID:872262

Goozner, Robert E ^[1]; Long, Mark O ^[1]

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1. Charlotte, NC

A method for extracting and reclaiming metals from scrap CdTe photovoltaic cells and manufacturing waste by leaching the metals in dilute nitric acid, leaching the waste with a leaching solution comprising nitric acid and water, skimming any plastic material from the top of the leaching solution, separating the glass substrate from the liquid leachate, adding a calcium containing base to the leachate to precipitate Cd and Te, separating the precipitated Cd and Te from the leachate, and recovering the calcium-containing base.

• Research Organization: Drinkard Metalox, Inc., Charlotte, NC (US)
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-95ER81951
• Assignee: Drinkard Metalox, Inc. (Charlotte, NC)
• Patent Number(s): US 5897685
• Application Number: 08/855873
• OSTI ID: 872262
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

recycling
cdte
photovoltaic
waste
method
extracting
reclaiming
metals
scrap
cells
manufacturing
leaching
dilute
nitric
acid
solution
comprising
water
skimming
plastic
material
top
separating
glass
substrate
liquid
leachate
adding
calcium
containing
base
precipitate
cd
precipitated
recovering
calcium-containing
plastic material
cdte photovoltaic
photovoltaic cells
nitric acid
solution comprising
glass substrate
photovoltaic cell
leaching solution
scrap cdte
reclaiming metals
comprising nitric
containing base
photovoltaic waste
dilute nitric
manufacturing waste
/75/