Mechanical treatment of photovoltaic (PV) panels primarily enables the recovery of several key materials by physically breaking down the panels after removing external components like the frame and junction box. The materials that can be recovered through mechanical processes such as crushing, shredding, milling, and grinding include:
- Glass: Constituting about 75-80% of the panel’s weight, glass is the largest recoverable material fraction from PV panels and is readily recyclable through established glass recycling streams.
- Aluminum: The frame of most crystalline silicon panels is made of aluminum, which can be fully recovered and recycled after mechanical separation.
- Copper: Copper wiring and contacts inside the panel are also recoverable, though present in smaller quantities compared to glass and aluminum.
- Plastic components: The plastic junction box and some polymer layers can be separated mechanically and recycled or used as part of thermal recovery processes for energy.
- Silicon solar cells: Mechanical treatment alone typically does not fully extract silicon; the silicon cells often require additional thermal or chemical processing after mechanical separation. However, silicon can be recovered indirectly by grinding and then treating the resultant material further, as the encapsulating plastics and adhesives hinder simple mechanical extraction.
- Other valuable metals: Small amounts of silver and internal copper within the solar cells can be recovered through advanced mechanical and subsequent chemical or thermal methods.
In summary, mechanical treatment effectively recovers the bulk and easily separable materials like glass, aluminum, copper, and plastics from PV panels. Silicon and certain valuable metals require additional processing steps beyond initial mechanical treatment to be recycled.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/what-materials-can-be-recovered-from-pv-panels-using-mechanical-treatment/
