Reclaiming metallic material from an article comprising a non-metallic friable substrate

A method for reclaiming a metallic material from an article including a non-metallic friable substrate, said method comprising:

• crushing the article into a plurality of pieces:
• dissolving the metallic material in an acidic solution, the dissolved metallic material and the acidic solution forming etchant effluent;
• separating the etchant effluent from the friable substrate;
• adding at least one precipitation agent capable of precipitating the metallic material from the etchant effluent;
• precipitating said metallic material out of the etchant effluent;
• and
• recovering the metallic material;
• wherein the article is a glass mirror comprising a glass substrate, silver and leaded paint.

A method for reclaiming a metallic material from an article including a non-metallic friable substrate, said method comprising:

• crushing the article into a plurality of pieces;
• dissolving the metallic material in an acidic solution, the dissolved metallic material and the acidic solution forming etchant effluent;
• separating the etchant effluent from the friable substrate;
• adding at least one precipitation agent, capable of precipitating the metallic material from the etchant effluent;
• precipitating said metallic material out of the etchant effluent;
• and
• recovering the metallic material;
• wherein the article is a plasma flat panel display comprising a glass substrate, gold and leaded oxide layer, with the metallic material comprising gold and lead.

A method for reclaiming cadmium and tellurium from cadmium telluride solar cells, said method comprising:

• providing crushed pieces of cadmium telluride solar cell, the pieces comprising pieces of glass and polymeric substances having cadmium and tellurium;
• providing an acidic solution capable of dissolving the cadmium and tellurium;
• exposing the crushed pieces of solar cell to the acidic solution for a period of time sufficient to dissolve the cadmium and tellurium in the acidic solution to form an acidic effluent, comprising the cadmium, tellurium and the acidic solution, and a solid phase comprising the pieces of glass and polymeric substance;
• separating the solid phase from the acidic effluent;
• separating the cadmium and tellurium from the acidic effluent;
• and
• separating the tellurium from the cadmium by dispersing the cadmium and tellurium in an alkaline solution to form an electrolytic solution containing the tellurium, and then electrowinning the tellurium from the electrolytic solution.

A method for reclaiming cadmium and tellurium from a cadmium telluride solar cell, said method comprising:

• providing crushed pieces of cadmium telluride solar cells, the pieces comprising pieces of glass and polymeric substances having cadmium and tellurium;
• providing an acidic solution capable of dissolving the cadmium and tellurium;
• exposing the crushed pieces of solar cell to the acidic solution for a period of time sufficient to dissolve the cadmium and tellurium in the acidic solution to form an acidic effluent, comprising the cadmium, tellurium and the acidic solution, and a solid phase comprising the pieces of glass and polymeric substance;
• separating the solid phase from the acidic effluent;
• separating the cadmium and tellurium from the acidic effluent;
• and
• separating the tellurium from the cadmium by dispersing the cadmium and tellurium in an alkaline solution to form an electrolytic solution containing the tellurium, and then separating the cadmium from the electrolytic solution.