Solvent versus thermal treatment for glass recovery from end of life photovoltaic panels: Environmental and economic assessment

Francesca Pagnanelli; Emanuela Moscardini; Pietro Altimari; Flavia C S M Padoan; Thomas Abo Atia; Francesca Beolchini; Alessia Amato; Luigi Toro

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109313

Solvent versus thermal treatment for glass recovery from end of life photovoltaic panels: Environmental and economic assessment

J Environ Manage. 2019 Oct 15:248:109313. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109313. Epub 2019 Jul 30.

Authors

Francesca Pagnanelli¹, Emanuela Moscardini², Pietro Altimari¹, Flavia C S M Padoan³, Thomas Abo Atia⁴, Francesca Beolchini⁵, Alessia Amato⁶, Luigi Toro²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le a. Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy; Eco Recycling Srl, Via di Vannina 88/94, 00156, Roma, Italy.
² Eco Recycling Srl, Via di Vannina 88/94, 00156, Roma, Italy.
³ Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le a. Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: francesca.pagnanelli@umiroma1.it.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le a. Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy.
⁵ Eco Recycling Srl, Via di Vannina 88/94, 00156, Roma, Italy; Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica Delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy.
⁶ Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica Delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy.

PMID: 31374434
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109313

Abstract

End of life photovoltaic panels of different technologies (poly crystalline Si, amorphous Si, and CdTe) were treated mechanically in pilot scale by single shaft shredder minimizing the production of fine fractions below 0.4 mm (<18% weight). Grounded material was sieved giving: an intermediate fraction (0.4-1 mm) of directly recoverable glass (18% weight); a coarse fraction (which should be further treated for encapsulant removal), and fine fractions of low-value glass (18%), which can be treated by leaching for the removal of metal impurities. Encapsulant removal from coarse fraction was successfully performed by solvent treatment using cyclohexane at 50 °C for 1 h giving high-grade glass (52% weight), which can be reused for panel production. Experimental results of solvent treatment were compared with those from thermal treatment by economic analysis and Life Cycle Assessment, denoting in both cases the advantages of solvent treatment in recovering high-value glass.

Keywords: LCA; Photovoltaic panel; Recycling; Solvent treatment; Thermal treatment.

MeSH terms

Cadmium Compounds*
Glass
Quantum Dots*
Recycling
Silicon
Solvents
Tellurium*

Substances

Cadmium Compounds
Solvents
Tellurium
cadmium telluride
Silicon