# US 11,908,969 B2 · Method of recovering valuable materials from photovoltaic module

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- Number: US 11,908,969 B2
- Document ID: US11908969B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/266,249
- Filed: 2019-07-19
- Published: 2021-09-30
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2018-08-06
- Assignees: Tokuyama Corporation
- Applicants: Tokuyama Corporation
- Inventors: Masaru Sasai; Yuichiro Minabe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11908969B2

## CPC

- H10F 71/00: Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass (patterning processes to connect thin photovoltaic cells in integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/33; manufacture or treatment of encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/80; manufacture or treatment of integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element in which radiation controls the flow of current H10F39/00)
- B09B 3/40: involving thermal treatment, e.g. evaporation (processes using mineral binders involving a melting or softening step B09B3/29; involving radiation B09B3/50)
- C08J 11/12: by dry-heat treatment only
- H10F 19/80: Encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells
- H10F 71/137: {Batch treatment of the devices}
- C08J 2387/00: Characterised by the use of unspecified macromolecular compounds, obtained otherwise than by polymerisation reactions only involving unsaturated carbon-to-carbon bonds
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- Y02W 30/20: Waste processing or separation
- Y02W 30/62: Plastics recycling; Rubber recycling
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- B09B: DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29)
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT

## Abstract

Provided is a method to recycle valuable materials included in a photovoltaic module having a resin back sheet or the like, for efficiently and easily recovering the valuable materials by removing the resin components from the photovoltaic module. The method of recovering valuable materials from a photovoltaic module, includes: a loading step of loading a photovoltaic module (X) having a resin back sheet and a sealing resin layer on a heat-resistant porous molded body (A) with the back sheet surface facing down; and a heating step of heating a load including the photovoltaic module (X) and the porous molded body (A) in a heating furnace in an oxidizing atmosphere to melt and then combust the resin components.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of recovering valuable materials from a photovoltaic module, the method comprising:
a loading step of loading a photovoltaic module (X) having a resin back sheet and a sealing resin layer on a heat-resistant porous molded body (A) with the back sheet surface facing down; and
a heating step of heating a load including the photovoltaic module (X) and the porous molded body (A) in a heating furnace in an oxidizing atmosphere to melt and then combust the resin components,
wherein a heat-resistant material (B) carrying a transition metal oxide is arranged in the heating furnace and the porous molded body (A) on which the photovoltaic module (X) is loaded is loaded on the heat-resistant material (B).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the heat-resistant material (B) is a porous molded body.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein at least a part of the resin constituting the back sheet is an aromatic resin.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the transition metal oxide is an oxide of a first transition element to a third transition element.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the valuable materials are at least one selected from the group consisting of glass, cell, silver, and aluminum frame.