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Title: Recycling of CdTe photovoltaic waste

Abstract

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.

Inventors:
 [1];  [1];  [2]
  1. Charlotte, NC
  2. (Charlotte, NC)
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Drinkard Metalox, Inc., Charlotte, NC (US)
OSTI Identifier:
872262
Patent Number(s):
5897685
Application Number:
08/855873
Assignee:
Drinkard Metalox, Inc. (Charlotte, NC)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
C - CHEMISTRY C22 - METALLURGY C22B - PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
DOE Contract Number:  
FG02-95ER81951
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
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/

Citation Formats

Goozner, Robert E, Long, Mark O, and Drinkard, Jr., William F. Recycling of CdTe photovoltaic waste. United States: N. p., 1999. Web.
Goozner, Robert E, Long, Mark O, & Drinkard, Jr., William F. Recycling of CdTe photovoltaic waste. United States.
Goozner, Robert E, Long, Mark O, and Drinkard, Jr., William F. Tue . "Recycling of CdTe photovoltaic waste". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/872262.
@article{osti_872262,
title = {Recycling of CdTe photovoltaic waste},
author = {Goozner, Robert E and Long, Mark O and Drinkard, Jr., William F.},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1999},
month = {4}
}