Immobilization of copper indium selenide solar module waste in concrete constructions

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the properties of concrete containing various quantities of copper indium selenide (CIS) solar module waste by replacing a certain part (up to 40%) of sand. The obtained results have shown that an increase in the content of solar module waste resulted in an increase of the density of fresh and hardened concrete. The compressive strength of the specimens compared to the control specimens has been higher, when sand aggregate was replaced by CIS solar module waste particles from 5 to 20%. Also, a decrease in the water absorption and porosity of concrete specimens containing immobilized waste compared to those with no waste has been observed. The leaching behaviour of the concrete containing immobilized waste was also studied. The results showed that the concrete with sand aggregate replacement by waste particles between 5 and 10% has the best leaching properties. That replacement can be used for CIS solar module waste recycling in concrete production.