Integrating electrodeposition with electrolysis for closing loop resource utilization of battery industrial wastewater

How to efficient and high-value recycling of electronic components mounted on waste printed circuit boards: Recent progress, challenge, and future perspectives

Efficient resource recovery and reutilization are important for overcoming the immense challenges associated with waste photovoltaic module management and the limited raw material supplies, but these processes are significantly impeded by the low recycling efficiency and poor profitability of current technologies. Here, an integrated crystalline silicon cell regeneration technique is proposed by skillfully combining the sequential processes of nondestructive silicon cell recovery, wafer prepurification, one-step ultrapurification and texturing using metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE), and intrasystem reutilization of recovered materials. High-purity and intact silicon wafers are successfully recovered, and various anti-reflection textures including the intriguing dual-scale micro/nano structure are controllably constructed simultaneously by applying a single-step MACE process. The favorable thickness (165 μm), resistivity (1.02–2.28 Ω•cm) and carrier lifetime (1.12–2.47 μs) of the recovered silicon wafers, along with their ultralow reflectivity (5–15%) compared with commercial silicon wafers, make them excellent viable options for high-efficient photovoltaic module production. A rough economic assessment reveals that this integrated strategy presents a lower production cost than that of a conventional recovery process or the price of silicon wafer from industrial production process, and the fully recovered Al frame, tempered glass, Cu ribbons, and high-purity Ag and Al powders can be reused within the system for solar cell regeneration and as catalysts for MACE, resulting in economic viability and high resource sustainability. 

A systematically integrated recycling and upgrading technology for waste crystalline silicon photovoltaic module

Chromium (Cr) is a critical metal due to its non-substitutable application in the metallurgy industry and highly uneven distribution of global reserve. However, there is a lack of in-depth analysis of global Cr flow patterns and its trade networks among individual cycles, which leaves the potential barriers and opportunities unexplored for improving chromium resource efficiency. Here, we employ a trade-linked multilevel material flow analysis (MFA) to map the global anthropogenic Cr cycle for year 2019. Social network analysis is also used to identify the key countries involved in the global Cr trade network. The results highlight that the global Cr cycle depends substantially on international trade in different forms, of which stainless steel is the leading application. Although South Africa, Kazakhstan, and Turkey are the major Cr primary resource suppliers, China and India play substantial roles in manufacturing Cr-containing products. Regional disparities exist in the scrap contents of individual country cycles, varying from 7% (uncertainty ranges from 4 to 11%) in China to 88% (uncertainty ranges from 87 to 89%) in India. Additionally, several countries are essential in the global Cr redistribution and in the connectivity of the Cr trade network, which may lead to their strong import dependence and even supply disruption.

Mapping the Global Anthropogenic Chromium Cycle: Implications for Resource Efficiency and Potential Supply Risk.

With the widespread photovoltaic deployment to achieve the net-zero energy goal, the resulting photovoltaic waste draws attention. In China, considerable steps have not been taken for photovoltaic waste management. The lack of relevant scientific information on photovoltaic waste brings difficulties to the establishment of photovoltaic waste regulatory systems. In this study, the necessity and feasibility of photovoltaic waste recovery were investigated. In China, the photovoltaic waste stream was quantified as 48.67-60.78 million t in 2050. In photovoltaic waste, indium, selenium, cadmium, and gallium were in high risk, judging by the metal criticality analysis, which meant that their recovery was significant to alleviate the resource shortage. The full recovery method was proved to reduce the environmental burdens most. For cost and benefit analysis, the net present value/size was -1.02 $/kg according to the current industrial status. However, it can be profitable with the recovery of silver. This study provides scientific and comprehensive information for photovoltaic waste management in China and is expected to promote the sustainable development of photovoltaic industry.

Response to the Upcoming Emerging Waste: Necessity and Feasibility Analysis of Photovoltaic Waste Recovery in China.

Global supply risk assessment of the metals used in clean energy technologies

While CIGS solar cell has been experiencing an expanded photovoltaic market and increasing research interest in cell design, its treatment after obsoletion remains an upcoming issue. The heavy metals involved, such as Cd, can threat the environment, while strategic resources, such as rare metals In and Ga, offer a great recycling oppotunity. However, due to its multimetal feature, traditional recycling methodology shows poor separation-extraction efficiency and additional environmental burdens with intense reagent consumption and waste generation. Here, we report a sequential electrodeposition method for pure metal recycling from this Cu-In-Cd-Ga quaternary system in a more environmentally friendly and efficient manner. Stability constant-corrected redox potential supplemented with metal electroreduction tests predicts well the potential window for sequential electrodeposition. Cu and In electrodeposition shows 100% separation with high Coulombic efficiency (>80%), whereas Ga electrodeposition presents slower kinetics and performs better at a pH of 2.5. Environmental impact assessment indicates that the proposed recycling route allows remarkable reduction of global warming and toxicity impacts compared with metal production from virgin mining and reference processes. We further unveiled the applicability of the electrodeposition technique in the context of anthropogenic mineral recycling, emphasizing resource sustainability and cleaner production.

Novel Electrodeposition Method for Cu-In-Cd-Ga Sequential Separation from Waste Solar Cell: Mechanism, Application, and Environmental Impact Assessment.

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Global supply risk assessment of the metals used in clean energy technologies

Novel Electrodeposition Method for Cu-In-Cd-Ga Sequential Separation from Waste Solar Cell: Mechanism, Application, and Environmental Impact Assessment.