Development and Techno-Economic Analysis of an Advanced Recycling Process for Photovoltaic Panels Enabling Polymer Separation and Recovery of Ag and Si

Antonio Rubino,Ludovica Baldassari,Giuseppe Granata,Luigi Toro,Francesca Pagnanelli,Pietro Altimari,Emanuela Moscardini

doi:10.3390/en13246690

Antonio Rubino, Ludovica Baldassari + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/en13246690

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Abstract

Photovoltaic panels were included in EU Directive as WEEE (Wastes of Electric and Electronic Equipment) requiring the implementation of dedicated collection schemes and end-of-life treatment ensuring targets in terms of recycling rate (80%) and recovery rate (85%). Photovoltaic panels are mainly made up of high-quality solar glass (70–90%), but also metals are present in the frames (Al), the cell (Si), and metallic contacts (Cu and Ag). According to the panel composition, about $72 per 100 kg of panels can be recovered by entirely recycling the panel metal content. The PhotoLife process for the treatment of end-of-life photovoltaic panels was demonstrated at pilot scale to recycle high value glass, Al and Cu scraps. A process upgrade is here reported allowing for polymer separation and Ag and Si recycling. By this advanced PhotoLife process, 82% recycling rate, 94% recovery rate, and 75% recoverable value were attained. Simulations demonstrated the economic feasibility of the process at processing capacity of 30,000 metric ton/y of end-of-life photovoltaic panels.

Highlights

One of the major challenges that humanity is facing is to promote the transition from traditional fossil fuels to long-term sustainable energies [1]
The main objective of this work is assessing the technical and economic feasibility of an upgraded recycling process including the refining of the polymeric-cell mixture. This process, hereafter referred to as ‘advanced PhotoLife process’, was simulated based on preliminary data derived by lab scale research activities
The coarse fraction is further treated by organic solvents, resulting in high quality glass (>3 mm), metallic filaments made of copper, and a polymeric residue containing the photovoltaic panels (PVPs) back sheet, and the EVA encapsulant still glued to the Si cell fragments (Figure 4)

Summary

Introduction

One of the major challenges that humanity is facing is to promote the transition from traditional fossil fuels to long-term sustainable energies [1]. Photovoltaic (PV) technology has become a competitive technological alternative allowing to reach appreciable power production by conversion of solar energy into electricity [2]. Si-crystalline photovoltaic panels (PVPs) currently represent the dominating technology [3]. The application of alternative PV technologies, such as the thin-film Cd-Te and CIGS panels, is limited by the application of toxic metals (Cd in Cd-Te) and rare elements (In and Ga in CIGS) [5], which contributes to consolidate the dominating market position of the Si based panels [3]. Taking into consideration the PVPs market growth recorded over the past decades [6], a progressively increasing annual flux of the end-of-life (EOL) PVPs is foreseen. It is predicted that about 8 and 78 million EOL-PVPs tons could be generated within 2030 and 2050, respectively [7]

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