Speaker
Prof.
Peter Dold
(Fraunhofer CSP)
Description
Germanium is a high-value material of limited availability and with a high CO2-footprint. Today, solar cells with the highest efficiency are produced on germanium substrates. For space applications, only high efficiency photovoltaic modules are used due to the restrictions in weight. Therefore, the consumption of germanium has to be reduced and the waste produced during the manufacturing of germanium-based solar cells should be recovered. Fraunhofer ISE and Fraunhofer CSP develop processes to extract germanium even from very diluted process water streams (as low as 100 ppm) and accumulate and recover the germanium. Our recycling process can handle high volumes of process water flows. The germanium is then fed back into the value cycle.
Primary author
Prof.
Peter Dold
(Fraunhofer CSP)
Co-author
Dr
David Lackner
(Fraunhofer ISE)
