Challenges in Separating Glass from Solar Cells in Recycling
Separating the glass cover from the solar cells is a significant challenge in recycling solar panels. Here are the key issues:
- Mechanical Separation Limitations: Simply shredding the panels often results in a mixture of glass, silicon, metals, and plastics, making it difficult to recover pure materials. This method typically yields contaminated glass, which is sold as low-value cullet.
- Glass-Silicon Adhesion: The glass cover is strongly bonded to the solar cells, making mechanical separation impractical without damaging the components. This necessitates more advanced techniques to ensure clean separation.
- Need for Chemical Processes: Mechanical methods alone are insufficient for achieving pure products. Chemical processes, such as pyrolysis, are required to break down polymer encapsulants effectively and separate the components cleanly.
- Specialized Techniques for Bifacial Modules: Bifacial modules, which are becoming more prevalent, present specific challenges due to their design. New technologies are being developed to address these challenges and ensure high glass recovery rates, particularly for bifacial modules expected to dominate the market by 2033.
- Efficiency and Scalability: Existing recycling methods often involve manual labor and have lower efficiency rates, especially for bifacial modules. New automated lines aim to address these inefficiencies by providing clean separation with high recovery rates, ensuring scalability and minimizing waste.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/what-are-the-challenges-in-separating-the-glass-from-the-solar-cells-in-recycling/
