Scientists have developed a new water-jet delamination recycling technology. They first separate the glass from the rest of the module, then process the rest. It achieved silver with 97% purity.
An international research team has developed a high-pressure water-jet delamination recycling method for end-of-life (EoL) photovoltaic modules. The technology was evaluated at pilot scale for its ability to recover high-purity silver (Ag), copper (Cu), silicon (Si), glass, and polymer fractions.
“This study was initiated to investigate and upscale advanced delamination-based recycling pathways for c-Si PV modules,” the researchers said. “This work evaluates high-pressure water-jet delamination-based recycling, which mechanically separates laminated module layers while minimizing cross-contamination between material fractions. It aims to contribute to the development of scalable EoL PV recycling solutions by addressing key gaps in current recycling approaches.”
The experimental work was carried out as part of the Quasar Horizon Europe project, which focuses on advancing circular solutions for EoL PV modules through the development and demonstration of two recycling technologies. According to the research group, the proposed approach provides a separation pathway that improves material recovery compared with conventional mechanical recycling processes.
