标题: Recycling of silicon solar panels through a salt-etching approach

作者: Gao, SB (Gao, Shuaibo); Chen, X (Chen, Xiang); Qu, JK (Qu, Jiakang); Guo, YY (Guo, Yanyang); Shi, H (Shi, Hao); Pang, FZ (Pang, Fangzhao); Guo, L (Guo, Lei); Qu, X (Qu, Xin); Wang, DH (Wang, Dihua); Yin, HY (Yin, Huayi)

来源出版物: NATURE SUSTAINABILITY DOI: 10.1038/s41893-024-01360-4 Early Access Date: JUN 2024 Published Date: 2024 JUN 3

摘要: The production and use of silicon (Si) solar panels is soaring during the transition to a carbon-neutral energy system. To mitigate their environmental footprints, there is an urgent need to develop an efficient recycling method to handle end-of-life Si solar panels. Here we report a simple salt-etching approach to recycle Ag and Si from end-of-life Si solar panels without using toxic mineral acids and generating secondary pollution. The etching process is enabled by the high corrosivity of molten hydroxide that spontaneously reacts with SiNx, SiO2, Al2O3 and Al at the surface of Si wafers through the top-down direction, thereby directly separating Ag from Si wafers. The etching process takes only 180 s to recover >99.0% of Ag and >98.0% of Si from end-of-life Si solar panels. In addition, Cu, Pb, Sn and Al in Si solar panels are also recovered through a combined oxidation, alkaline leaching and electrodeposition approach. Overall, this study presents a viable approach for sustainable management of end-of-life Si solar panels, paving the way to a circular economy.

KeyWords Plus: END-OF-LIFE; PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE; WASTE; RECOVERY; MANAGEMENT; SEPARATION; PB

地址: [Gao, Shuaibo; Guo, Yanyang; Shi, Hao; Pang, Fangzhao; Guo, Lei; Qu, Xin; Wang, Dihua; Yin, Huayi] Wuhan Univ, Sch Resource & Environm Sci, Wuhan, Peoples R China.

[Gao, Shuaibo; Chen, Xiang; Qu, Jiakang; Yin, Huayi] Northeastern Univ, Sch Met, Shenyang, Peoples R China.

[Gao, Shuaibo; Guo, Yanyang; Shi, Hao; Pang, Fangzhao; Guo, Lei; Qu, Xin; Wang, Dihua; Yin, Huayi] Wuhan Univ, Hubei Int Sci & Technol Cooperat Base Sustainable, Wuhan, Peoples R China.

[Wang, Dihua; Yin, Huayi] Hubei Prov Key Lab Biomass Resource Chem & Environ, Wuhan, Peoples R China.

[Yin, Huayi] Wuhan Univ & Chilwee, Joint Ctr Green Mfg Energy Storage Mat, Wuhan, Peoples R China.

通讯作者地址: Wang, DH; Yin, HY (通讯作者)，Wuhan Univ, Sch Resource & Environm Sci, Wuhan, Peoples R China.

Yin, HY (通讯作者)，Northeastern Univ, Sch Met, Shenyang, Peoples R China.

Wang, DH; Yin, HY (通讯作者)，Wuhan Univ, Hubei Int Sci & Technol Cooperat Base Sustainable, Wuhan, Peoples R China.

Wang, DH; Yin, HY (通讯作者)，Hubei Prov Key Lab Biomass Resource Chem & Environ, Wuhan, Peoples R China.

Yin, HY (通讯作者)，Wuhan Univ & Chilwee, Joint Ctr Green Mfg Energy Storage Mat, Wuhan, Peoples R China.

电子邮件地址: wangdh@whu.edu.cn; yinhuayi@whu.edu.cn

影响因子：25.7