Recycling of silver from CIGS solar cells

Research Project, 2017 – 2018

The company Midsummer AB develop and manufacture equipment for manufacturing of CIGS (Copper-Indium-Gallium-Selenium) solar cells. On the surface of the solar cell an electric circuit grid made from silver. Since silver is a valuable metal, the company wants to be able to offer their customers, who buy the manufacturing machines, a method to recover silver from manufacturing residues. Midsummer also wants to have
a method in-house to be able to recycle silver from discarded solar cells. The goal of the suggested project is to develop and verify a method for recycling of silver from the CIGS solar cells made by Midsummer AB. Based on a first screening of possible methods hydro chemical methods based on leaching and purification of silver have been chosen.