US 12,686,154 B2 · Method for recycling end-of-life solar panels

Abstract

A method of recycling a solar panel includes steps of removing a frame from the solar panel, delaminating a glass cover, silicon wafers and a plastic backing of the solar panel using a green solvent adapted to weaken, rather than dissolve, an adhesive used in lamination of the solar panel thereby generating a delaminated material stream, separating glass of the glass cover from the delaminated material stream, separating the plastic backing from the delaminated material stream thereby generating a concentrated metals stream, electrostatically separating insulator materials and electrically conducting materials from the concentrated metals stream thereby creating an insulator material stream and an electrically conducting material stream and separating silicon from other metals in the electrically conducting material stream.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method of recycling a solar panel, comprising:

removing a frame from the solar panel;
delaminating a glass cover, silicon wafers and a plastic backing of the solar panel using a green solvent adapted to weaken, rather than dissolve, an adhesive used in lamination of the solar panel thereby generating a delaminated material stream;
separating glass of the glass cover from the delaminated material stream;
separating the plastic backing from the delaminated material stream thereby generating a concentrated metals stream;
electrostatically separating insulator materials and electrically conducting materials from the concentrated metals stream thereby creating an insulator material stream and an electrically conducting material stream;
and
separating silicon from other metals in the electrically conducting material stream.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for recycling end-of-life solar panels

Life of this patent

Method for recycling end-of-life solar panels

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18