Wei-Sheng Chen

Abstract:

Binary alloys of copper and indium sputtering target are applied to the solar cells manufacturing, and play a role of light-absorbing layer. In the solar cell, manufacturing process will generate lots of spent sputtering targets, which are needed to recycle. This research performs the separation technology and the recovery of indium from spent targets. The experiment of separation and enrichment of the indium is conducted by using the solvent extraction and ion-exchange resin under the hydrochloride acid system. The liquid-liquid extraction of copper and indium from acid medium by D2EHPA in kerosene is studied. Indium is successfully separated from copper by using solvent extraction. The maximum extraction efficiency of Indium is 99.9%. The organic phase that contains a rich indium can be stripped by hydrochloride acid. The ion exchange results to a best adsorption of 92% of the indium from copper. The ion exchange is found to be consistent with the Langmuir isothermal model through the experimental results of isothermal adsorption, which adsorption is about 55 mg/g. Through the kinetic adsorption experiments, the adsorption will reach a carrying capacity after 10 hours. We also show that the hydrochloride acid is an effective stripping solution through the desorbing experiment. Finally, the zone refining of indium will recover 99.995% of indium metal as the raw material of indium target.