Methods to recover and purify silicon particles from saw kerf

• Main Authors: RAGAN, TRACY M, GRABBE, ALEXIS
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 01.01.2014
• Subjects: CHEMISTRY; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOTDIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT; DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g.ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING; DIFFERENTIAL SEDIMENTATION; DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS; FLOTATION; FUELS; GRINDING; LUBRICANTS; LUBRICATING COMPOSITIONS; MACHINE TOOLS; MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OFPARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLIDMATERIALS OR FLUIDS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; METALLURGY; PEAT; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; POLISHING; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS; SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATICTABLES OR JIGS; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; TRANSPORTING; USE OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES EITHER ALONE OR AS LUBRICATINGINGREDIENTS IN A LUBRICATING COMPOSITION; WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE; WORKING STONE OR STONE-LIKE MATERIALS

The present disclosure generally relates to methods for recovering silicon from saw kerf, or an exhausted abrasive slurry, resulting from the cutting of a silicon ingot, such as a single crystal or polycrystalline silicon ingot. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to methods for isolating and purifying silicon from saw kerf or the exhausted slurry, such that the resulting silicon may be used as a raw material, such as a solar grade silicon raw material.