Recycling of Thin Film Solar Cells

A recycling process for solar panels that enables the recovery of valuable materials through multiple separation stages. The process involves a series of chemical, physical, and thermal treatments that separate the panel's components into distinct fractions. These fractions are enriched in precious metals, photovoltaic material, and other valuable materials. The fractions are then processed through selective precipitation, selective leaching, and electrolysis to produce high-purity materials. The process achieves a 100% recovery rate of valuable materials, enabling the reuse of solar panels for lower-cost recycling.

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A method for recycling photovoltaic (PV) panels using a thermoplastic matrix material, which enables the reuse of valuable materials like aluminum, copper, and high-purity silicon while producing a visually appealing end product. The recycling process involves crushing and screening the PV panel particles, followed by addition of glass spheres to enhance surface quality. The composite material is then formed through pressing, injection molding, or similar techniques, resulting in a durable and visually appealing product. This approach addresses the environmental concerns associated with traditional PV panel disposal while maintaining the performance characteristics of the original material.

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Thermolysis-based recycling of solar panels and cells to produce clean fuel gas and char while eliminating hazardous materials. The process involves a continuous, oxygen-free pyrolysis of solar panel waste in a reactor system. The waste is shredded and then processed in multiple stages of thermolysis using heat energy, resulting in the production of a clean fuel gas and char containing valuable photovoltaic materials and metals. The char can be further processed to extract metals, silicon, and other valuable components. The process achieves complete destruction of fluorinated compounds, including fluorine and chlorine, while generating clean fuel gas and char.

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A novel method for efficient and environmentally friendly silicon and silver recycling from waste solar panels. The process utilizes a molten alkali leaching method to selectively extract and recover silicon and silver from the solar panel's metallurgical-grade silicon (MG-Si) and metallurgical-grade silicon (MG-Si) wafers, respectively. The recovery process involves a controlled temperature and salt composition in the molten salt, enabling rapid separation of the target materials from the remaining photovoltaic material. The method achieves higher purity silicon and silver recoveries compared to conventional recycling methods, with a simplified preparation process and lower environmental impact.

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A method for extracting valuable components from photovoltaic panels through controlled thermal disassembly, enabling the recovery of reusable materials. The process involves cooling the photovoltaic panel's glass structure with liquid nitrogen while maintaining structural integrity, followed by mechanical separation of the glass and aluminum frame. The cooled glass is then processed to remove contaminants and prepare it for further processing into raw materials. The aluminum frame is then extracted and processed into individual profiles, which can be used in new photovoltaic panels or other products.

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Comprehensive recycling method for waste photovoltaic modules to maximize resource recovery and minimize environmental impact. The method involves: 1) Separating the modules into components like glass, frames, junction boxes, and cells. 2) Recycling the separated components using established processes for materials like glass, aluminum, and silicon. 3) Extracting valuable metals like silver, aluminum, copper, and tin from the cells and frames using a process like pyrometallurgy. This allows recovery of these high-value metals from the waste modules instead of landfilling them. The resulting powdered cells can be further processed to extract other valuable materials like cadmium and telluride.

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A solar cell recycling method that enables efficient and cost-effective recovery of photovoltaic materials from end-of-life modules. The process involves disassembling the solar cell module, specifically the metal frame, tempered glass, and backsheet, to separate the individual components. The backsheet is removed through a controlled mechanical separation process. The solar cell is then cleaned in a selective solvent, followed by pulverization to separate the silicon and other materials. The pulverized material is then classified and sorted by particle size using a combination of sieves and a classifier. This enables the recovery of silicon, glass, and other valuable materials in their pure form for reuse in the manufacturing process.

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A method for recycling photovoltaic modules through a single-step process that efficiently recovers all components, including glass, plastic, aluminum, copper, silver, and silicon. The method involves thermal cutting to separate components, followed by crushing and sorting of cells to obtain tinned copper strips and cell powders. The copper strips are then processed using acid leaching to extract silver, while the silicon powder is purified through a combination of acid leaching and chemical treatment. The purified components are then combined to form a new product with high value-added properties.

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A pretreatment method for photovoltaic modules to enhance recycling efficiency by selectively degrading the photovoltaic cell and glass layers. The method involves irradiating the photovoltaic module with ultraviolet light to accelerate photodegradation of the EVA layer, followed by crushing the module to separate glass fragments and solar cells. The EVA layer's photodegradation enables the separation of glass and solar cells, while maintaining the aluminum frame intact for subsequent recycling. This approach enables the efficient separation of valuable components from photovoltaic modules, making recycling more viable for photovoltaic waste.

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A comprehensive recycling system for photovoltaic modules that maximizes material recovery while ensuring high-quality recyclable products. The system comprises sequential processing steps: pretreatment, cutting, heat treatment, and chemical etching. The pretreatment step removes contaminants and prepares the module for processing. The cutting step enables precise separation of photovoltaic cells from the assembly. The heat treatment step ensures the silicon wafers are fully deformed and prepared for chemical etching. The chemical etching step removes the EVA layer, glass, and metal components. The system integrates a vacuum adsorption device for back panel disassembly and a resistance-type hot wire cutter for precise cell separation.

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A comprehensive recycling method for photovoltaic modules that enables complete recycling of glass and silicon wafers without compromising the integrity of the photovoltaic components. The method employs a multi-step approach involving thermal treatment of the module assembly, selective etching of the silicon wafer, and controlled diamond wire cutting of the glass. The thermal treatment process enhances the separation of glass and silicon components, while the diamond wire cutting process enables precise separation of the glass and silicon wafers without damaging the photovoltaic cells. The thermal treatment and diamond wire cutting processes are optimized to ensure complete separation of the components, allowing for the recovery of valuable materials like aluminum, silicon, and rare earth metals.

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A method and system for efficient photovoltaic module recycling that eliminates the need for organic solvents in the traditional mechanical crushing and sorting process. The method involves a single-step pretreatment unit that removes the module assembly components, followed by a specialized cutting unit that peels off the battery sheets and removes the EVA backplate. The cutting unit incorporates a precision cutting mechanism with a flat or oblique blade that enables effective separation of the module components. This integrated pretreatment and cutting process eliminates the environmental and operational issues associated with traditional mechanical crushing and sorting methods.

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A full-cycle recycling system for solar photovoltaic modules that enables efficient extraction of valuable materials from decommissioned panels. The system employs a thermal cracking reactor to convert the module's aluminum frame and backplane into valuable metals, followed by precise sorting and purification processes for copper, glass, and solar cells. The system integrates waste heat recovery, scrubbing, and refining technologies to produce high-quality materials, including copper alloys, glass aggregate, and silicon wafers. This comprehensive approach addresses the environmental and economic challenges of solar panel disposal while enabling closed-loop recycling.

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A low-cost and environmentally friendly cadmium telluride solar cell recycling system that enables the recovery of tellurium and cadmium from photovoltaic waste without generating hazardous waste. The system employs a closed-loop process with integrated waste heat recovery, where primary dust is collected and processed through a shredder, followed by a secondary dust collector and tertiary dust collector. The system includes a flue gas purification unit to remove sulfur dioxide emissions. The system's design combines the primary and secondary dust collectors into a single unit, with the tertiary dust collector providing additional purification capacity. This integrated approach enables the recovery of valuable materials while minimizing environmental impact.

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A photovoltaic module recycling system that enables efficient separation of photovoltaic components through a novel Taylor reactor-based process. The system employs a Taylor reactor to separate photovoltaic components by density differences, with the EVA film, glass, and aluminum being separated from the metal components. The separated components are then processed through a multi-stage cyclone for further separation of metals. This approach eliminates the need for complex chemical treatments and conventional mechanical separation methods, reducing energy consumption and environmental impact.

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A novel method for the efficient recycling of photovoltaic cells through the recovery of valuable materials. The process involves a multi-step approach that leverages the unique properties of photovoltaic cells to achieve the recycling of silicon, aluminum, and silver. The method begins by disassembling the cell and removing the protective aluminum frame, junction box, and EVA film. The resulting polycrystalline silicon is then broken down and processed into a powder. The powder is then mixed with concentrated sulfuric acid at specific concentrations to form a solution containing aluminum sulfate and silver sulfate. Electrolysis of this solution precipitates aluminum and silver while the remaining silicon is converted into a solution containing aluminum sulfate and silicon. The aluminum sulfate solution is then reduced to produce elemental aluminum, while the silver sulfate solution is reduced to produce elemental silver. The waste gas generated during the reduction is recovered to produce elemental aluminum and silver.

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A novel method for recovering valuable materials from CIGS solar cells through selective extraction of metals from the cell structure. The method employs an inorganic acid aqueous solution as a solvent to selectively dissolve copper, indium, and gallium ions, which are then extracted and purified through different extraction times. This selective extraction enables the recovery of the valuable metals while minimizing the generation of hazardous waste and ensuring the purity of the recovered materials.

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A solar cell waste recycling and reprocessing process that enables efficient separation of solar cell components through a novel mechanical cleaning system. The process involves a specially designed liquid storage tank with integrated chip removal ports, a bottom storage groove for glass debris, and a metal filter frame. When the solar panel is crushed during disassembly, the glass and other components are separated cleanly from the metal frame, while the chip removal ports facilitate efficient collection of the glass debris. This innovative approach enables the automated separation of solar cell components, including glass, copper tape, and other materials, for recycling and remanufacturing.

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A process for recovering valuable metals from cadmium telluride thin-film solar cells through controlled thermal treatment. The method involves mechanically peeling the solar cell's back glass, followed by oxidation and roasting of the broken glass and encapsulated film in a controlled furnace environment. The generated tellurium and cadmium oxides are then collected and processed to recover the metals. This approach addresses the environmental concerns associated with traditional cadmium recovery methods while maintaining high recovery efficiency and minimizing environmental impact.

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A method for recycling waste film from solar battery backplanes and their scraps, achieving high-efficiency compatibilization of the resulting material. The method involves blending waste film with an ester copolymer and a high-efficiency compatibilizer, which forms a stable, non-fragmenting melt that can be processed into various shapes for use in electrical appliances, building materials, agriculture, photovoltaics, and other applications. The compatibilizer enhances the material's compatibility between the fluorine-containing solar cell backplane waste film and polyester components, while the ester copolymer contributes to the material's soft and tough properties.

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