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Photovoltaic module recycling, a physical and a chemical recovery process
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- Elsevier, 2019.
-
Abstract
- End-of-life photovoltaic modules can be hazardous wastes if they contain hazardous materials. The main problem arising from this type of waste is the presence of environmentally toxic substances and the poor biodegradability of the waste, which occupies great volumes when landfilled. For these reasons, photovoltaic modules have to be treated before landfilling as required by the legislation. The subject of this paper is the polycrystalline silicon type photovoltaic modules. They were treated with a physical and a chemical process. The physical process was aimed at the recovery of glass, metals, and the polyvinyl fluoride film. The modules were initially shredded with a knife mill and then processed with heavy medium separation, milling, and sieving. The glass (76%) and 100% of the metals were recovered respectively, at a grade of about 100% and 67%. Finally, a flow sheet of the physical process was proposed. The chemical process was aimed at identifying the best conditions which allow the dissolution of the EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate), that is the polymer that attaches the three layers that make up the module, namely the glass, the polycrystalline silicon, and the polyvinyl fluoride support. The experimental factors investigated were: type of solvent, thermal pretreatment, treatment time, temperature, and ultrasound. The best conditions to completely dissolve EVA in less than 60 min were the use of toluene as a solvent at 60 °C combined with the use of ultrasound at 200 W, while the pretreatment at 200 °C appeared to be useless.
- Subjects :
- Materials science
metals
02 engineering and technology
engineering.material
010402 general chemistry
01 natural sciences
chemistry.chemical_compound
Hazardous waste
Recycling
Dissolution
polymers
glass
chemistry.chemical_classification
photovoltaic modules
Waste management
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
recycling treatment
Ethylene-vinyl acetate
Photovoltaic modules
Treatment
Metals
Glass
Polymers
Polymer
Biodegradation
021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology
0104 chemical sciences
Surfaces, Coatings and Films
Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Solvent
Polyvinyl fluoride
Polycrystalline silicon
chemistry
engineering
0210 nano-technology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....1e9845860f8747f7c4d176387287c1e4