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

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