Solar Modules Recycling Line I How to Recycle Solar Panel I Frame & Glass Remover

Solar panels, also called pv modules, become more than just solid waste after their typical 25-30-year lifespan. Instead, they represent an "urban mine" in need of development. The core of their recycling value lies in the effective recovery and recycling of high-purity materials, achieving the dual benefits of resource conservation, environmental protection, and economic value.

What are solar panels made of?
1. Glass: Approximately 70%-75% of the total weight of the panel, primarily ultra-clear glass with high light transmittance. After recycling, it can be reused in the manufacture of new glass products or photovoltaic modules.
2. Aluminum Frame: Approximately 10%-15% of the total weight and is made of high-purity aluminum. This can be directly disassembled and remelted for use in the manufacture of new frames or other aluminum products, yielding a high value.
3. Silicon-based Cells: Core functional layer comprises approximately 4%-5%. Despite its small weight contribution, it holds the highest value. These materials contain high-purity silicon (Si, which can be purified and reused), silver (Ag, a precious conductive metal), and copper (Cu).
4. Polymer Backsheet & EVA Encapsulant: Approximately 10%. Primarily composed of polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl fluoride (TPT), and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA). These materials have high calorific value and can be recovered as energy or chemically recycled for use in new material manufacturing.
5. Non-ferrous metals like lead and tin: Found in solder ribbons, effective recycling can prevent environmental pollution and allow for resource utilization.

Why to recycle Solar Panels?
1.Economic Value: Recycling silver, aluminum, high-purity silicon, and glass can generate direct economic benefits, offsetting some of the recycling costs. As recycling technology scales and material prices rise, their economic viability will become increasingly prominent. Strategic 2. Resource Value: Ensures domestic supply security for key raw materials like silver and silicon, reduces reliance on primary mining, and aligns with a circular economy strategy.
2.Environmental Value: Prevents harmful substances like lead from leaching into the environment while significantly reducing the energy consumption and carbon emissions required to produce new materials.

How to professionally recycle solar panels?
The current mainstream professional recycling process aims to achieve efficient and high-purity material separation and is divided into the following stages:
Stage 1: Pretreatment and Disassembly
Deframing: Automated equipment precisely cuts the EVA adhesive layer, completely separating the aluminum frame from the laminated glass. The aluminum frame can then be directly fed into the metal recycling chain.
Stage 2: Material Separation and Sorting
This is the core of recycling technology. The most advanced and industrialized method currently combines pyrolysis with physical sorting.
1. Pyrolysis: After removing the aluminum frame, the solar panel is placed in a deglazing machine. This process decomposes and vaporizes the EVA adhesive film of the encapsulating component, completely separating the glass, solar cells, and backsheet layers while preventing oxidative damage.
2. Sorting:
Sieving and gravity sorting: The pyrolysis material is screened and vibrated to initially separate larger glass flakes and smaller solar cell particles based on density differences.
Electrostatic Separation : Used to efficiently separate non-metallic materials (glass, plastic) from metallic materials (primarily copper, aluminum, and solder ribbon).
Magnetic Separation: Further separates ferromagnetic metals.
LIBS: Advanced plants use this high-tech sorting method to accurately identify and separate silver-containing silicon particles from other materials, significantly increasing the recovery rate of valuable materials like silver.
Stage 3: Deep Purification and Resource Utilization
1. Metallurgical Purification: Extracting high-purity silicon, silver, and other metals through processes such as acid leaching and extraction.
2. Material Recycling: The separated materials enter the corresponding resource recycling chain:
Glass particles → Used to make foam glass, ceramic tiles, or cover glass for new photovoltaic panels.
Aluminum → Sent to aluminum smelters for remelting. Recycled silicon and silver → return to the solar or electronics industries as raw materials.
Plastic backsheets → undergo energy recovery or explore chemical recycling.

In summary, solar panel recycling is a technology-intensive industry whose value goes far beyond waste disposal. With the continuous advancement of recycling technology, cost reductions driven by economies of scale, and increasingly stringent environmental regulations, photovoltaic panel recycling is poised to become the indispensable "last mile" for the sustainable development of the photovoltaic industry, truly closing the loop on a green, low-carbon energy cycle.