Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Feb 8;17(4):821.
doi: 10.3390/ma17040821.

Development of a Recycling Process and Characterization of EVA, PVDF, and PET Polymers from End-of-Life PV Modules

Marek Królikowski  1 , Michał Fotek  2 , Piotr Żach  2 , Marcin Michałowski  3
Affiliations

Development of a Recycling Process and Characterization of EVA, PVDF, and PET Polymers from End-of-Life PV Modules

Marek Królikowski et al. Materials (Basel). .

Abstract

Photovoltaic (PV) modules are highly efficient power generators associated with solar energy. The rapid growth of the PV industry will lead to a sharp increase in the waste generated from PV panels. However, electro-waste can be successfully used as a source of secondary materials. In this study, a unique procedure for recycling PV modules was developed. In the first stage, the aluminum frame and junction box, 18wt%. and 1wt%. of the module, respectively, were removed. The following stage was crucial, involving a mechanical-thermal method to remove the glass, which accounts for 70wt%. As a result, only 11wt%. of the initial mass of the PV was subjected to the next stage of chemical delamination, which reduced the amount of solvent used. Toluene was used to swell the ethylene vinyl acetate, EVA, and allow for the separation of the PV module. The effects of temperature and ultrasound on separation time were investigated. After the separation of silicon cells, metal ribbons, EVA, and the backsheet were obtained. The purity of the polymers was determined by FTIR and elemental analysis. Thermal properties were measured using DSC calorimetry to determine the basic parameters of the material.

Keywords: EVA; FTIR spectroscopy; PET; PVDF; chemical treatment; elemental analysis; mechanical–thermal treatment; photovoltaic module; recycling PV module.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A photo of (a) an end-of-life PV module, (b) laminated PV samples after glass removal, and (c) removed glass.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A schematic illustrating a potential interfacial configuration between EVA and glass, considering the inclusion of a silane adhesion promoter [27].
Figure 3
Figure 3
(a) The degree of PV module delamination as a function of time, t, during solvent exposure. dots—experimental data. A solid line is a guide for the eye. ●—T1 = 25 °C; ●—T2 = 35 °C; ●—T3 = 45 °C. (b) Delamination time of PV modules as a function of temperature.
Figure 4
Figure 4
(a) The degree of PV module delamination as a function of time, t,, during solvent exposure. dots—experimental data. A solid line is a guide for the eye. ●—constant temperature, T1 = 25 °C; stirring at 500 rpm; ●—ultrasonic bath without stirring; ●—T3 = ultrasonic bath, stirring at 500 rpm. (b) Temperature changes in the ultrasonic bath during the delamination process: ●—ultrasonic bath without stirring; ●—T3 = ultrasonic bath, stirring at 500 rpm.
Figure 5
Figure 5
(a) Swollen and fragmented laminating EVA layer, (b) metallic dust suspension in the solvent, (c) PVDF, and (d) PET.
Figure 6
Figure 6
(a) A mixture of EVA and PV cells after chemical treatment, (b) the separation of EVA (on the surface) and PV cells (at the bottom of the beaker) in water, and (c) PV cells after burning.
Figure 7
Figure 7
The FTIR spectra of recovered EVA after separation of PV module.
Figure 8
Figure 8
The FTIR spectra of recovered PET after separation of PV module.
Figure 9
Figure 9
The FTIR spectra of recovered PVDF after separation of the PV module.
Figure 10
Figure 10
DSC analysis of separated polymers from the PV module.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Snapshot 2023—IEA-PVPS. [(accessed on 5 December 2023)]. Available online: https://iea-pvps.org/snapshot-reports/snapshot-2023/
    1. Xu Y., Li J., Tan Q., Peters A.L., Yang C. Global Status of Recycling Waste Solar Panels: A Review. Waste Manag. 2018;75:450–458. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2018.01.036. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Heath G.A., Silverman T.J., Kempe M., Deceglie M., Ravikumar D., Remo T., Cui H., Sinha P., Libby C., Shaw S., et al. Research and Development Priorities for Silicon Photovoltaic Module Recycling to Support a Circular Economy. Nat. Energy. 2020;5:502–510. doi: 10.1038/s41560-020-0645-2. - DOI
    1. Chowdhury M.S., Rahman K.S., Chowdhury T., Nuthammachot N., Techato K., Akhtaruzzaman M., Tiong S.K., Sopian K., Amin N. An Overview of Solar Photovoltaic Panels’ End-of-Life Material Recycling. Energy Strategy Rev. 2020;27:100431. doi: 10.1016/j.esr.2019.100431. - DOI
    1. Singh S., Powar S., Dhar A. End of Life Management of Crystalline Silicon and Cadmium Telluride Photovoltaic Modules Utilising Life Cycle Assessment. Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 2023;197:107097. doi: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2023.107097. - DOI