2024 IEEE 1st Karachi Section Humanitarian Technology Conference (Khi-HTC)

Recycling and Material Extraction from End-of-Life

Photovoltaic Modules Waste: Exploring Physical
Recovery Techniques
2024 IEEE 1st Karachi Section Humanitarian Technology Conference (KHI-HTC) | 979-8-3503-7304-2/24/$31.00 ©2024 IEEE | DOI: 10.1109/KHI-HTC60760.2024.10482243

Amjad Ali Atif AlZahrani M. Waseem Khan

IRC-Sustainable Energy Systems IRC-Sustainable Energy Systems IRC-Sustainable Energy Systems
King Fahad University of King Fahad University King Fahad University
Petroleum and Minerals of Petroleum and Minerals of Petroleum and Minerals
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Email: [Link]@[Link] Email: atif@[Link] Email: [Link]@[Link]

Hassan S. Sahaf Muhammad Khalid Asif Islam

Department of Electrical Engineering Department of Electrical Engineering IRC-Sustainable Energy Systems
King Fahad University King Fahad University King Fahad University
of Petroleum and Minerals of Petroleum and Minerals of Petroleum and Minerals
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Email: s201961050@[Link] Email: mkhalid@[Link] Email: [Link]@[Link]

Abstract—As the adoption of photovoltaic (PV) technology (RETs). Among these technologies, solar photovoltaic (SPV)
grows, the need for sustainable waste management becomes stands out as a prominent contender due to its ability to
imperative. In this study we investigated different physical route harness abundant sunlight globally. Notably, advancements in
recovery methods such as crushing recycling, high voltage pulse,
laser irradiance, and hot knife processes, targeting the retrieval technology have led to a remarkable reduction in the price
of valuable materials like silicon, metals, glass, and encapsulants. per watt, dropping it by less than 0.5 US Dollars (USD)
By reviewing existing literature, we assess the technical viability [1][2]. This favorable progress has resulted in a substantial
of these techniques and highlight their limitations. The crushing increase in the deployment of SPV over the past decade
technique demonstrates effectiveness in glass recycling but falls (2011 to 2021). The global installed capacity has witnessed a
short in recovering other valuable components, highlighting
its limitations as a standalone solution. High Voltage Pulse remarkable surge, reaching an impressive cumulative capacity
crushing exhibits promise with an impressive 85% recycling of 843 GW by the end of 2021, and is projected to reach 1630
rate, emphasizing increased material purity. Laser irradiation, GW in 2030 and 4500 GW by 2050, as illustrated in Figure
specialized for EVA recycling, is noted for its user-friendly 1.
nature, making it an attractive candidate for hybrid approaches.
The simplicity of the hot knife technique is evident in its
effectiveness for glass and EVA recycling, though expert handling
requirements and potential damage pose limitations. Integration
of these techniques, considering their strengths and weaknesses,
provides a roadmap for developing a holistic and efficient end-
of-life recycling strategy for solar PV panels. Our findings
underline the evolving landscape of PV waste management,
and emphasize proposing an integrated solution to address the
growing challenges in a sustainable and efficient manner, and
provides insights for policymakers and stakeholders seeking
environmentally conscious solutions.
Index Terms—Solar Photovoltaic, Waste, Recycling, Waste
Management, Physical Route
Fig. 1. Solar PV accumulative Instillation Project till 2030 and 2050 [3][4]
I. I NTRODUCTION
The landscape of the energy industry has been experienc- Among the various renewable energy technologies available,
ing a significant transformation, shifting steadily towards the solar photovoltaics stands out as an exceptional and eco-
exploration and adoption of renewable energy technologies friendly means of electricity generation. However, like any
technology, it also undergoes the aging process, and upon

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reaching the end of its lifespan, decommissioning becomes prioritizing environmental friendliness and sustainability. By
necessary. This decommissioning process involves disman- adhering to this pathway, recyclers can successfully reclaim
tling, recycling, and proper disposal [3]. It is crucial for valuable resources, minimize waste generation, and actively
the solar photovoltaic industry to maintain its reputation as participate in the circular economy by reintegrating the ex-
a green, clean, and environmentally friendly energy source. tracted materials back into the production cycle. The flowchart
Therefore, it must ensure that the decommissioning phase of physical separation is given in Figure 3.
does not result in leaving behind a trail of hazardous waste
that could compromise its eco-friendly standing. The rapid
expansion of installed capacity in solar photovoltaic (PV)
panels will inevitably lead to a rise in the generation of end-of-
life (EOL) waste [3]. Projections suggest that the cumulative
EOL waste generated from solar PV panels could range from 8
to 78 million metric tons between 2030 and 2050, as depicted
in Figure 2 [4][5].

Fig. 3. Solar PV Physical Separation Method Flowchart

• Dismantling the aluminum alloy frame: The process starts

by removing the aluminum alloy frame that holds the PV
modules together.
• Cutting the modules into representative and homogeneous
samples: After removing the frame, the PV modules are
Fig. 2. Solar PV EOL Waste Generation Projection from 2030 to 2050[6][7]
cut into smaller pieces or samples that are representative
Based on above mentioned figure-2 solar PV EoL waste of the whole module, and the samples are required to
generation, there is a need for time to work on solar pho- have uniform properties, which means that they should
tovoltaic (PV) waste recycling. It will play a crucial role have consistent attributes and features throughout. This
in mitigating the environmental impact of end-of-life solar uniformity is essential for conducting accurate and reli-
panels. Currently, there are two primary recycling methods able tests, experiments, or analyses on the samples, as
available, physical and chemical. In this study, we will focus any variations could introduce inaccuracies in the results.
on conducting a comprehensive technology assessment of solar • Laboratory small-scale operations: These representative
PV end-of-life waste recycling, with a specific emphasis on samples are then used for laboratory-scale experiments
the physical recycling process. By delving into the physical and processes.
recycling approach, we aim to explore sustainable solutions for • Comminution of samples: Comminution refers to the
effectively managing and reutilizing valuable materials from process of reducing the size of the samples into smaller
discarded solar panels. particles or fragments. In this case, the samples are
broken down into smaller pieces.
II. P HYSICAL ROUTE • Separation of materials in the PV module: The aim is to
Pertains to the distinct and systematic set of physical actions separate the varied materials that make up the PV module,
or procedures employed for the recycling or processing of a such as glass, metals, and other components, so they can
PV module. It encompasses a comprehensive sequence of steps be recycled or reused.
aimed at disassembling the module and extracting its elemental • Using a circuit composed of unitary operations: A series
materials, subsequently segregating them into distinct compo- of specific operations are used in a sequence, forming
nents. The physical route encompasses the tangible journey a ”circuit” to accomplish the separation process circuit
undertaken during recycling or processing operations. This means that there are steps that need to be done in order.
involves a series of distinct stages, including the disassembly • Unitary operations: The specific operations mentioned
of the module, the division of the module into smaller sections, include: (i). Crushing/milling: The samples are further
the reduction of these sections into even smaller fragments, crushed or milled into even smaller particles. (ii). Sieving:
and the use of specialized techniques such as crushing, milling, The crushed material is passed through a sieve to separate
sieving, and heavy medium separation to separate different different-sized particles. (iii). Heavy medium separation:
materials from each other. The physical pathway plays a This is a method that uses a heavy medium (dense
vital role in the efficient and effective extraction of valuable liquid or suspension) to separate materials based on their
materials or components from the PV module, all while density[8]

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A. Crushing Recycling • Down recycling: it is a process in which we use crushing
The crushing happens when we break apart the layers of we crush the solar panel into tiny pieces and do not do
a solar panel into smaller pieces. We do this by crushing, any other treatments In conclusion we only use machinal
shredding, grinding, and milling as shown in figure-4. parts in this process and there are two types:
(a) closed circuit crushing: in this process, we do the
crushing many times to make varied sizes or until we
reach the desired size.
(b) open circuit crushing: in this process, we do the
crushing only 1 time which saves time and energy.
Finally, the result of downcycling is a mixture of materials
that are typically used for low-value purposes
• High-Value Recycling: is the process we separate the
layers of solar panels by their material and it should be
done with machinal thermal and chemical so we will not
go into detail in this part, the goal is to get very pure
material with high yield and reduce pollution this process
is redesigning, for example, some group are interested in
the sliver so they redesign the process to get the maximum
of the material they want
• High-Value Recycling can be divided into three steps:
(i). Separating the Different Parts: In this step, we break
Fig. 4. crushing technique in real life [9]
items into pieces and use techniques like dense medium
separation (using different weights) and magnets to sep-
• Crushing is when we use strong forces to break apart arate the varied materials present in the items.
the solar panel. We can do this either with everything (ii). Sorting the Material: After separating, we put things
connected or with some parts taken out. that are alike together. We can do this by using our hands
or special machines that can sense things and figure out
(i) Shredding is when we keep cutting the panel to make where they belong based on what they are made of.
it even smaller. (iii). Recovering the Valuable Components: In the last
(ii) Grinding and milling are other ways to make the step, we take out important things from the sorted ma-
pieces even tinier and separate various parts of the panel. terials. We can do this by melting them or using special
Furthermore, the crushing recycling method is categorized processes to get valuable metals like gold and silver. We
into two main categories “Down Cycling” and High Value can also use special chemicals to separate and get back
Recycling” as shown in Figure 5. useful parts from the rest of the materials [10].

B. High voltage pulse crushing

High-voltage pulse crushing is a recycling method that
breaks down old solar panels into their various parts effec-
tively. It uses strong electrical pulses to crush the panels and
separate valuable materials like glass, silicon, and metals. The
process involves placing a piece of the solar panel in a special
machine and subjecting it to powerful electrical pulses. These
pulses create shockwaves that crush the panel into smaller
pieces, making it easier to extract and reuse the valuable
components, thus promoting sustainable practices in the solar
industry.
• Primary crushing step: The primary crushing step serves
as the first phase of the crushing process, during which
the raw material or feedstock undergoes mechanical
forces to decrease its size and ready it for subsequent
processing. This pivotal stage involves breaking down
sizable material fragments into smaller fragments. To
accomplish this task, a heavy-duty machine, such as a jaw
Fig. 5. PV Module Crushing Recycling Method crusher or a gyratory crusher, is commonly employed as
the primary crusher, as it possesses the capacity to handle

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 substantial chunks of material. The primary objective of
this crushing step is twofold to yield a size that can be
easily managed for further processing and to meet the
desired specifications of the product as shown in Figure
6.

Fig. 7. Products obtained from the secondary crushing step of the glass layer
(glass particles were removed) [11].

electrode and the encapsulant (a protective material).

• Size Separation: The crushed glass is then sieved to sepa-
rate particles of different sizes. The glass is mostly found
in small pieces ranging from 45 to 850 micrometers,
along with some silicon powder.
• Dense Medium Separation (DMS) - is a unique way of
recycling that helps separate things that weigh differently
from each other. It’s used a lot in recycling to separate
important things from things that are not useful anymore,
like when we recycle old solar panels. DMS works well
when we have things that weigh a lot and things that
weigh a little, like electronic waste recycling.
Part 1: To make the glass clean and remove the silicon powder,
we use a special method called dense medium separation. This
method uses a heavy substance between the glass’s weight and
Fig. 6. Products obtained from the primary crushing step under various
the silicon powder. This helps to separate the glass from the
conditions [11] lighter silicon powder.
• Metal Recovery-part1: When we recycle, we try to get
• Secondary crushing step: The secondary crushing pro- back other metals like copper, tin, and lead that are in
cess occurs after the initial crushing process and entails big pieces. We use different methods to separate these
further reducing the already diminished material into metals because they are bigger.
even tinier fragments. This step is frequently employed • Silver Recovery-part1: In some parts of the solar panel,
to attain a more precise reduction in size, amplify the there is a special type of silver that is very small. It can
material’s surface area, or segregate distinct components be as tiny as a speck of dust or as big as a grain of rice.
within the mixture. Secondary crushers typically consist This silver is important because there is a lot of it in
of more specialized machinery, such as cone crushers the panel. Even though it is only about one-third of all
or impact crushers, which are specifically engineered to the silver in the panel, it still makes up a big part of the
handle smaller particle sizes and execute more specialized crushed materials.
functions in contrast to primary crushers as shown in
Figure 7. Part 2: This method is used to increase the recovery of
The flowchart of High-voltage pulse crushing is given in silver; dense medium separation is used with a specific gravity
Figure 8, the step-by-step for the High voltage pulse crushing of 3.0. This higher specific gravity substance helps to condense
process is defined as: the silver from the silicon and glass, thereby improving the
recovery of silver from the crushed materials.
• Initial Separation: High-voltage pulses are used to break
the solar panel into two main layers - glass and back • Metal Recovery-part2: get more materials due to Dense
sheet. Medium Separation (DMS) - Part 2:
• Glass Separation: The glass layer is further processed by • Recovery-part2: get more silver due to Dense Medium
using high-voltage pulses to separate it from the bus-bar Separation (DMS) - Part 2:[8]

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 Fig. 9. Working process for the back EVA recycling via the laser irradiation
[12].

Fig. 10. Laser Irradiation EVA Separation Method

• Removing parts: First, the junction box, aluminum frame,

and back sheet of the solar panel are taken off.
• sing a laser: A special laser emitting light at 1064
nanometers is used. This laser is directed onto the in-
terface between the solar cell and the back-EVA layer.
• Absorption of laser energy: The aluminum and silver
parts at the back of the solar cell soak up the laser’s
power, which makes the area where the cell touches
something called EVA get hotter [5].
• Weakening the adhesive: When it gets hotter, the solar
cell and the back-EVA layer become less stuck together
and can be pulled apart more easily.
• Peeling off the EVA: If we use a special laser in a certain
way, we can remove a layer from the solar cell without
Fig. 8. High voltage pulse crushing process. breaking it or the layer. This helps us reuse the layer
without hurting the solar cell.
• Benefits of recycling: When we recycle the EVA, it helps
C. Laser irradiation protect the environment by reducing pollution. It also lets
us use the EVA and solar cells again instead of throwing
Using a special kind of light called a laser, we can heat them away. And one day, we might be able to recycle the
up a specific part of the solar panel to remove a layer called whole solar cell completely [9].
ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA). This helps us separate the EVA
from the other parts of the panel, which makes it easier to D. The hot knife method
recycle and helps us get back valuable materials from it as The hot knife method is a thermal separation technique.
sketched in figure-9. It’s a better way to recycle solar panels It is a recycling method commonly used to re purpose dis-
because it’s good for the environment and helps us get more carded silicon solar panels. It involves using a heated cutter
useful stuff from them. to effectively separate the layer of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate
The flowchart of High-voltage pulse crushing is given in (EVA) encapsulant from the glass and silicon cells found
Figure 10 in old photovoltaic modules. This approach is essential in
As shown in figure-10, the following are the discussion recovering valuable materials and components from these no-
points step by step, on how it works: longer-functional solar panels as given in figure-11, thereby

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promoting the principles of environmental sustainability and This improvement in purity is a significant step towards
circular economy within the photovoltaic industry. maximizing material restoration. To further elevate its
efficiency, integrating complementary strategies is sug-
gested. By combining High Voltage Pulse crushing with
techniques specialized in recovering other valuable com-
ponents (such as metals), a more comprehensive approach
could potentially be achieved.
• Laser Irradiation: Laser irradiation presents a specialized
technique primarily suited for EVA recycling, as high-
lighted in Table 2. Despite its relatively higher cost,
the distinct advantage lies in its user-friendly nature,
Fig. 11. The process of separation EVA and glass using hot knife [13] eliminating the need for expert intervention. This feature
makes laser irradiation an attractive candidate for inte-
The flowchart of High-voltage pulse crushing is given in gration into a hybrid approach. While it might not be
Figure 12 suitable for overall panel breakdown, incorporating laser
irradiation as a targeted step could enhance the recovery
of specific components like EVA, thus contributing to the
development of a new hybrid technique.
• Hot Knife: the hot knife technique’s simplicity is evident
Fig. 12. Hot knife Method in its effectiveness for glass and EVA recycling. However,
the requirement for expert handling and the potential
Below are the steps of the hot knife method for recycling for catastrophic damage, as indicated in Table 1, pose
silicon-wasted solar panels: significant limitations. While the hot knife technique
• Heating the Cutter: The glass/EVA division machine, might not be the core approach due to these limitations,
ordinarily made by NPC Joined in Japan, warms the it could still be valuable if integrated strategically. For
cutter to a temperature extend of 180–200 ◦C. instance, it could be combined with other techniques
• Softening the EVA: The warmed cutter is utilized to in a controlled manner to facilitate precise separation
soften the EVA layer that follows to the glass and silicon of glass and EVA without jeopardizing other valuable
cells. components.
• Cutting EVA: With the EVA softened, the cutter, which Furthermore, in table 2 all four technologies’ capacity to
may utilize controlled pulsating knife frequencies, cuts extract the raw material from the solar PV end-of-life waste
through the EVA layer. is given.
• Separation of Components: As the EVA layer is cut, it
isolates from the glass and silicon cells, allowing their
recovery [14].
III. C ONCLUSION AND D ISCUSSION :
In this study, we investigated four different solar PV end-of-
life waste recycling techniques for technology assessment to
come up with their advantages and disadvantages in terms of
material recycling. In table-1 a detailed comparative analysis
of the four investigated techniques is given.
• Crushing: The crushing technique demonstrates effec-
tiveness in glass recycling, contributing to a partial
restoration of materials from solar panels. However, its
limitations in recovering other valuable components, such
as metals, significantly hinder its potential to achieve the
overarching goal of comprehensive material restoration.
Crushing might serve as an initial step in breaking down
solar panels, but its standalone application falls short of
a holistic solution.
• High Voltage Pulse Crushing: High Voltage Pulse crush-
ing showcases great promise, yielding an impressive 85%
recycling rate according to Table 2. This technique not
only enhances the overall recycling rate but also leads
to increased material purity, as indicated in Table 1.

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 TABLE I
A DVANTAGE AND D ISADVANTAGE OF E ACH P HYSICAL S EPARATION T ECHNIQUE

Techniques Crushing High voltage pulse Laser irradiation Hot knife

1- Increased Purity of
1- Precise and controlled
1. Effective separation of Recovered Materials
material removal 1- Relatively simple and
glass and back sheet 2- Higher percentage of the
2- No damage on the EVA low-cost technique
Advantage 2. Efficient recovery of glass recycling materials
makes them reusable. 2- Precise Cutting
3. Minimizes electronic 3-Optimal separation
3-Energy-efficient clean 3- Low Material Loss
waste without destruction of
process
materials
1- Cost: Buying and using
laser equipment costs a lot
of money at first and
1-Requires
1- May cause damage or requires ongoing expenses
specialized/high-cost 1- cannot recover metals
destruction at higher 2- Safety: Proper safety
crushing equipment material
voltages measures are essential when
Disadvantage 2-cannot recover metals
2- Requires specialized using lasers for recycling 3-
2-Not famous and easily
material available technique
equipment and setup Uniformity: Laser irradiation
3- Possibility of material 3-high skill requirements
3- Risk of Electrical Hazards works best on uniform
losses during crushing
materials; variations in panel
sizes and thicknesses may
pose challenges

TABLE II
R ECOVER MATERIAL FROM E ACH T ECHNIQUE [15]

Glass Si powder Ag Cu Sn Pb EVA Silicon

Solar Cell
Yes
Crushing Yes No No No No No No
No
Hot knife Yes No No No No No Yes
yes
Laser irradiation No No No No No No yes
No
High voltage pulse Yes Yes Yes yes yes yes No

IV. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT [7] A. Ali, S. A. Malik, M. Shafiullah, M. Z. Malik, and M. H. Zahir,

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