USE OF CENTRIFUGAL GRAVITY CONCENTRATION FOR SEPARATION OF CADMIUM TELLURIDE FROM PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS

1 KRATOCHVÍL Michal
Co-authors:
2 JEZERSKÁ Lucie 1,2 DROZDOVÁ Jarmila 2 ZEGZULKA Jiří 1 LANDECKÁ Aneta 3 BROŽOVÁ Silvie 3 DRÁPALA Jaromír
Institutions:
1 VSB - Technical University of Ostrava, Faculty of Mining and Geology, Institute of Mining Engineering and Safety, 17. listopadu 15, 708 33 Ostrava, Czech Republic, EU, michal.kratochvil@vsb.cz
2 VSB - Technical University of Ostrava, ENET Centre, Bulk Solids Center, 17. listopadu 15, 708 33 Ostrava
3 VSB - Technical University of Ostrava, Faculty of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Department of Non-ferrous Metals, 17. listopadu 15, 708 33 Ostrava, Czech Republic, EU
Conference:
26th International Conference on Metallurgy and Materials, Hotel Voronez I, Brno, Czech Republic, EU, May 24th - 26th 2017
Proceedings:
Proceedings 26th International Conference on Metallurgy and Materials
Pages:
1827-1833
ISBN:
978-80-87294-79-6
ISSN:
2694-9296
Published:
9th January 2018
Proceedings of the conference were published in Web of Science and Scopus.
Metrics:
503 views / 259 downloads
Abstract

In connection with the end of life of the first commercially produced thin-film photovoltaic panels, the issue of recycling them is very topical. One of the methods for the production of the first photovoltaic cells was thin film technology, based on the CdTe content. The work is therefore devoted to one of the possible methods for separation of CdTe and glass particles in the powder material obtained during the liquidation of worn photovoltaic panels aiming at their secondary use. For the above-mentioned separation, the method of centrifugal gravity concentration of particles was used. The influence of the separation method to a change in the mechanical and physical properties of the powder mixture, including the angle of internal and external friction or compressibility, was studied as well. A criterion for comparing the results for the separation products were the contents of SiO2 and CdTe. A partial task was also time optimization of the separation process. The original material contained 46.05 wt. % of SiO2 and 16.06 wt. % of CdTe and unit shares other oxides (CaO, MgO, K2O) and metals. The samples were taken at 5-minute intervals. Using gravity concentration, it was possible to obtain the final concentrate with 29.28 wt. % of SiO2 and 45.69 wt. % of CdTe during optimized process time of 20 minutes. Initial experiments demonstrated the basic possibilities of the above-mentioned material separation and differences in mechanical and physical parameters of individual products.

Keywords: Cadmium telluride, photovoltaic panels, gravity concentration, angle of internal friction, compressibility

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