CMI researchers at Idaho National Laboratory conducted the research for this highlight
Achievement
Chinenye Eze, a Master of Science student in Chemistry at Prairie View A&M University (Texas), was selected as a 2025 CMI summer research intern and hosted by Idaho National Laboratory’s Minerals, Molecular Separation, and Analysis Department.
Significance and Impact
- Chinenye optimized an electrowinning (EW) method to isolate tellurium (Te) from spent cadmium telluride solar panels containing many interfering metals. She demonstrated that Te yield and purity can be improved by tuning system configurations and applying sequential EW purification with reduced chemical use.
- Thin-film semiconductor recycling enables recovery of valuable elements from end-of-life solar panels. This electrochemical approach lowers chemical use, improving sustainability and economics while strengthening resilient domestic supply chains of critical materials.
Hub Target Addressed
Training the critical materials workforce of the future.
