SBIR Phase II: Environmentally Compatible Recycling Method for Cadmium Telluride Devices

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目将开发一种专门用于回收光伏组件的电化学方法，这种组件在大型散装物流中含有极低数量的危险金属。它使用一种创新的闭环方法，在一个紧凑的系统中移除、分离和再生半导体薄膜，并以最少的浪费进行。第一阶段确定了关键工艺参数，重点是有效地从设备中移除和回收半导体。证明了回收无硫碲化镉方法的可行性。第二阶段将设计一个实用的系统，以回收整个模块，用于工厂内或集中应用。它将确定最佳参数，以分层模块，溶解半导体，再生有用的半导体前驱体薄膜，并重新利用电解液。这项研究将导致可行的原型回收能力，具有低成本、高效率、低周期时间和生产线适应性。将有缺陷的电池板转换为高效的组件将带来快速的周转和高产量。光伏行业有望实现潜在的商业应用，解决危险废物处理和提高组件产量的问题。它有回收其他报废产品的短期应用，如平板显示器、红外探测器和镜子废料。预计将从提高生产率、节省大量处置成本、回收稀缺的原材料以及新兴的碲化镉光伏行业更大的商业成功中受益，该行业的生产能力在两年内增长了50倍。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop an electrochemical method specific to recycling photovoltaic modules, which contain extremely low quantities of hazardous metals in large bulk-streams. It uses an innovative closed-loop approach to remove, separate, and regenerate semiconductor films in a single compact system, and do it with minimum waste. Phase I identified key process parameters, focusing on efficient removal and recovery of semiconductors from devices. Retrieval of sulfur-free cadmium telluride demonstrated method feasibility. Phase II will design a practical system to recycle the entire module for in-plant or centralized applications. It will identify the optimum parameters to delaminate modules, dissolve semiconductors, regenerate useful semiconductor precursor films, and re-utilize the electrolyte. The research will lead to a viable prototype recycling capability featuring low cost, high efficiency, low cycle-time, and production line amenability. Converting defective panels into efficient modules will lead to rapid turn-around and high production yields.Potential commercial applications are expected in the photovoltaic industry with a solution to managing hazardous waste disposal and improvement in module production yield. It has short-term applications for recycling other end-of-life products such as flat panel displays, infrared detectors, and mirror scrap. Benefits are anticipated in increased productivity, large savings in disposal costs, recovery of scarce raw materials, and enhanced commercial success of the emerging cadmium telluride photovoltaic industry, which has grown 50-fold in production capacity within two years.