Opportunities for Recycling PV Glass and Coal Fly Ash into Zeolite Materials Used for Removal of Heavy Metals (Cd, Cu, Pb) from Wastewater

This work shows the development and characterization of two zeolite structures by recycling PV glass and coal fly ash for the removal of cadmium, copper, and lead from synthetic solutions containing one or three cations. The materials were characterized in terms of crystalline structure (XRD), morphology (SEM, AFM), and specific surface. For increasing the heavy-metals removal efficiency, the adsorption conditions, such as substrate dosage, preliminary concentration, and contact time, were optimized. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model adsorption kinetics fit well to describe the activity of the zeolites ZFAGPV-A and ZFAGPV-S. The zeolite adsorption equilibrium data were expressed using Langmuir and Freundlich models. The highest adsorption capacities of the ZFAGPV-A zeolite are q_maxCd = 55.56 mg/g, q_maxCu = 60.11 mg/g, q_maxPb = 175.44 mg/g, and of ZFAGPV-S, are q_maxCd = 33.45 mg/g, q_maxCu = 54.95 mg/g, q_maxPb = 158.73 mg/g, respectively. This study demonstrated a new opportunity for waste recycling for applications in removing toxic heavy metals from wastewater.

Combined Spatially Resolved Characterization of Antireflection and Antisoiling Coatings for PV Module Glass

Characterization of photovoltaic (PV) module materials throughout different stages of service life is crucial to understanding and improving the durability of these materials. Currently the large-scale of PV modules (>1 m²) is imbalanced with the small-scale of most materials characterization tools (≤1 cm²). Furthermore, understanding degradation mechanisms often requires a combination of multiple characterization techniques. Here, we present adaptations of three standard materials characterization techniques to enable mapping characterization over moderate sample areas (≥25 cm²). Contact angle, ellipsometry, and UV-vis spectroscopy are each adapted and demonstrated on two representative samples: a commercial multifunctional coating for PV glass and an oxide combinatorial sample library. Best practices are discussed for adapting characterization techniques for large-area mapping and combining mapping information from multiple techniques.