Recycling of CIS photovoltaic waste

Patent number: 5779877

Abstract: A method for extracting and reclaiming metals from scrap CIS photovoltaic cells and associated photovoltaic manufacturing waste by leaching the waste with dilute nitric acid, skimming any plastic material from the top of the leaching solution, separating glass substrate from the leachate, electrolyzing the leachate to plate a copper and selenium metal mixture onto a first cathode, replacing the cathode with a second cathode, re-electrolyzing the leachate to plate cadmium onto the second cathode, separating the copper from selenium, and evaporating the depleted leachate to yield a zinc and indium containing solid.

Type: Grant

Filed: May 12, 1997

Date of Patent: July 14, 1998

Assignee: Drinkard Metalox, Inc.

Inventors: William F. Drinkard, Jr., Mark O. Long, Robert E. Goozner