Recycling of CdTe photovoltaic waste
AssigneeDrinkard Metalox, Inc.
InventorsRobert E. Goozner, Mark O. Long, William F. Drinkard, Jr.
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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.
Claims13
A method for extracting and reclaiming metals from scrap CdTe photovoltaic cells and manufacturing waste comprising the steps of:
- forming a solid substrate and a leachate by leaching the photovoltaic cells and manufacturing waste with a solution comprising nitric acid and water;
- adding a calcium-containing base to precipitate a solid comprising Cd and Te;
- roasting the solid at a temperature less than 500.degree. C.,
- washing the solid with water;
- evaporating the water to leave a residue;
- and
- roasting the residue to obtain CaO.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.