Total Germanium Recycling from Electronic and Optical Waste.

0491882 - ÚCHP 2019 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Bumba, Jakub - Dytrych, Pavel - Fajgar, Radek - Kaštánek, František - Šolcová, Olga
Total Germanium Recycling from Electronic and Optical Waste.
Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research. Roč. 57, č. 27 (2018), s. 8855-8862. ISSN 0888-5885.
[ACS National Meeting /254./. Washington, DC, 20.08.2017-24.08.2017]
R&D Projects: GA ČR GA15-14228S
Institutional support: RVO:67985858
Keywords : germanium * recycling * photovoltaic cells
OECD category: Chemical process engineering
Impact factor: 3.375, year: 2018

The method of germanium and silicon regeneration from waste germanium lenses and photovoltaic cells was successfully verified. Preparation of magnesium germanide, magnesium silicide and their mixtures in an optimized semi-opened reactor was investigated in details. Obtained products were characterized by dispersive Raman spectroscopy, SEM/EDX and XRD, which confirmed high conversion, homogeneity and crystallinity of prepared products. The measured data, together with data obtained from literature, served as input parameters for a mathematical model. Subsequent hydrolysis of prepared products to obtain germanium and silicon hydrides was observed by FTIR and by GC/MS. Successful separation of hydrolysis products to individual hydrides was also performed. Magnesium hydrogen phosphate trihydrate, a desired fertilizer, and the only byproduct of the whole process, was crystalized out from hydrolysis residue with the purity of over 95 %.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0285485