Recycling of Photovoltaic CdTe-Modules - Analytical Process Monitoring
- Along with the globally increasing energy demand the application of renewable energy sources is
urgently required. According to national regulations and international treaties (e.g. Kyoto Protocol)
these sources shall be sustainably available at reasonable financial effort and non-polluting during
production, use and waste treatment. Using photovoltaic sources (PV), these requirements can
clearly be met. All industry has to follow the best available technology and an integrative life cycle
approach for their products and production. PV thin film technology strictly responds to this obligation.
In order to save material resources and to minimise undesirable landfill recycling of spent PV
modules is necessary. Recycling of multi-component materials containing mixed metals typically
consists of three parts: liberation, separation, and recovery. In our study (RESOLVED an EU
Demonstration Project) the focus is on liberation and separation. The converting layer (CdTe) was
liberatedAlong with the globally increasing energy demand the application of renewable energy sources is
urgently required. According to national regulations and international treaties (e.g. Kyoto Protocol)
these sources shall be sustainably available at reasonable financial effort and non-polluting during
production, use and waste treatment. Using photovoltaic sources (PV), these requirements can
clearly be met. All industry has to follow the best available technology and an integrative life cycle
approach for their products and production. PV thin film technology strictly responds to this obligation.
In order to save material resources and to minimise undesirable landfill recycling of spent PV
modules is necessary. Recycling of multi-component materials containing mixed metals typically
consists of three parts: liberation, separation, and recovery. In our study (RESOLVED an EU
Demonstration Project) the focus is on liberation and separation. The converting layer (CdTe) was
liberated (removed) from the glass carrier by sandblasting and separated subsequently from the
blast material (e.g. corundum) and other components using stepwise different separation techniques.
Both the glass substrate and CdTe are subject to re-use. The overall feasibility of the recycling
process is primarily governed by the efficiency of the procedure applied to the separation of CdTe
from the rest (blasting material, glass residues, etc.). This was performed by water-based flotation.
Several flotation procedures were studied regarding their separation yields. The distribution of
CdTe in the phases involved (flotate, water, residue) was measured using energy dispersive X-ray
fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRS) intended for future routine application and by instrumental
large-volume photon activation analysis (IPAA) as a reference procedure. The results of both analytical
methods were in satisfactory agreement.…
Autor*innen: | Martina Hedrich, Lutz Giese, Christian AdamORCiD, Oskar Haase, Christian Segebade |
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Dokumenttyp: | Beitrag zu einem Sammelband |
Veröffentlichungsform: | Verlagsliteratur |
Sprache: | Englisch |
Titel des übergeordneten Werkes (Englisch): | Proceedings / EMC 2005, European Metaalurgical Conference |
Jahr der Erstveröffentlichung: | 2005 |
Herausgeber (Institution): | GDMB Gesellschaft für Bergbau, Metallurgie, Rohstoff- und Umwelttechnik |
Verlag: | GDMB-Medienverl. |
Verlagsort: | Clausthal-Zellerfeld |
Jahrgang/Band: | 4 |
Erste Seite: | 1687 |
Letzte Seite: | 1696 |
Freie Schlagwörter: | CdTe-Modules; Monitoring; Photovoltaic (PV); Recycling; Separation techniques; Solar energy |
Veranstaltung: | European Metallurgical Conference (EMC 2005) |
Veranstaltungsort: | Dresden, Germany |
Beginndatum der Veranstaltung: | 2005-09-18 |
Enddatum der Veranstaltung: | 2005-09-21 |
ISBN: | 3-935797-22-2 |
Verfügbarkeit des Dokuments: | Weder Datei noch physisches Exemplar vorhanden ("No Access") |
Datum der Freischaltung: | 19.02.2016 |
Referierte Publikation: | Nein |