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Recovering Cadmium and Tellurium from Thin-Film Photovoltaic Device Scrap.

PB96125372

Publication Date	1995
Personal Author	Tolley, W. K.; Palmer, G. R.
Page Count	30
Abstract	The U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) is investigating hydrometallurgical processing techniques to recycle metals from semiconductors and other advanced materials. Cadmium amd tellurium were recovered from mixed CdTe/CdS scrap produced in the manufacture of thin-film photovoltaic devices. Leaching the scrap for 90 min at 110 deg. C in 2.2Normal H2SO4 under 400 psig O2 yielded 97% Cd extraction; however, cadmium content of the residue ranged between 4% and 7%. Soluble iron was added to the lixiviant to catalyze oxidation of the CdS component. Tellurium and sulfur remained in the leach residue primarily in the elemental form. The iron and tellurium were removed from the cadmium-rich leach liquor by adjusting the pH to 5.3. The cadmium was recovered as cadmium sulfate crystals by evaporating the solution. Alternative leaching and purification schemes are discussed.
Keywords	Hydrometallurgy Metal recycling Cadmium Tellurium Semiconductors(Materials) Materials recovery Thin films Photovoltaic cells Leaching Purification
Source Agency	Bureau of Mines
NTIS Subject Category	68 - Environmental Pollution & Control 71N - Nonferrous Metals & Alloys 99B - Industrial Chemistry & Chemical Process Engineering
Corporate Authors	Bureau of Mines, Salt Lake City, UT. Salt Lake City Research Center.
Document Type	Technical Report
Title Note	Rept. of investigations/1995.
NTIS Issue Number	199604

Recovering Cadmium and Tellurium from Thin-Film Photovoltaic Device Scrap.

Recovering Cadmium and Tellurium from Thin-Film Photovoltaic Device Scrap.
PB96125372

Publication Date	1995
Personal Author	Tolley, W. K.; Palmer, G. R.
Page Count	30
Abstract	The U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) is investigating hydrometallurgical processing techniques to recycle metals from semiconductors and other advanced materials. Cadmium amd tellurium were recovered from mixed CdTe/CdS scrap produced in the manufacture of thin-film photovoltaic devices. Leaching the scrap for 90 min at 110 deg. C in 2.2Normal H2SO4 under 400 psig O2 yielded 97% Cd extraction; however, cadmium content of the residue ranged between 4% and 7%. Soluble iron was added to the lixiviant to catalyze oxidation of the CdS component. Tellurium and sulfur remained in the leach residue primarily in the elemental form. The iron and tellurium were removed from the cadmium-rich leach liquor by adjusting the pH to 5.3. The cadmium was recovered as cadmium sulfate crystals by evaporating the solution. Alternative leaching and purification schemes are discussed.
Keywords	Hydrometallurgy Metal recycling Cadmium Tellurium Semiconductors(Materials) Materials recovery Thin films Photovoltaic cells Leaching Purification
Source Agency	Bureau of Mines
NTIS Subject Category	68 - Environmental Pollution & Control 71N - Nonferrous Metals & Alloys 99B - Industrial Chemistry & Chemical Process Engineering
Corporate Authors	Bureau of Mines, Salt Lake City, UT. Salt Lake City Research Center.
Document Type	Technical Report
Title Note	Rept. of investigations/1995.
NTIS Issue Number	199604