Evaluation of High-Temperature Chlorination as a Process for Separation of Copper, Indium and Gallium from CIGS Solar Cell Waste Materials
Journal article, 2015

CIGS (copper indium gallium diselenide) is a semiconductor used in high efficiency thin film solar cells. Several of these elements are considered to be fairly rare and thus expensive. In order to ensure future supply of the metals, an efficient recycling process for CIGS is needed. We have previously published a process for the separation of high purity selenium from CIGS solar cell waste materials. In the present paper we evaluate the possibility of using high-temperature chlorination to separate copper, indium, and gallium from the residue obtained in the selenium separation process. The chlorination agents used were chlorine gas, hydrogen chloride gas, and ammonium chloride. The goal was to use different temperatures to separate the metal chlorides formed. Ammonium chloride was shown to be the most promising chlorination agent for future process optimization.

recycling

CIGS solar cells

chlorination

pyrometallurgy

Author

Anna Gustafsson

Chalmers, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Industrial Materials Recycling

Britt-Marie Steenari

Chalmers, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Industrial Materials Recycling

Christian Ekberg

Chalmers, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Industrial Materials Recycling

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Energy and Material

Separation Science and Technology

0149-6395 (ISSN) 1520-5754 (eISSN)

Vol. 50 1 1-9

Subject Categories

Polymer Chemistry

Materials Chemistry

Driving Forces

Sustainable development

Areas of Advance

Materials Science

DOI

10.1080/01496395.2014.949350

More information

Latest update

5/24/2024