Chemical delamination of ethylene vinyl acetate for solar module material and cell recovery
T.E. Moes (TU Delft - Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science)
Malte Vogt – Mentor (TU Delft - Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)
Luis Cutz – Mentor (TU Delft - Large Scale Energy Storage)
Olindo Isabella – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)
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Abstract
As policies and technological advancements accelerate the energy transition, more resources are required to develop sustainable pathways for end-of-life solar modules. Chemical delamination is an attractive option for solar recycling as it has the potential to separate the layers of a module and recover the cell intact. In this work, four primary testing factors were considered to optimize the process: solvent, temperature and residence time with the goal to reduce the reliance on fossil fuel based solvents, improve the reliability of cell material recovery and to attempt to recover cell materials intact. A preliminary solvent screening found three sustainable solvents that could replace current fossil fuel based recommendations. A subsequent optimization under atmospheric conditions found that 60% of the encapsulating EVA could be removed in 3 hours at 160°C. Additionally, this process was observed to be scalable. This research offers a baseline result for chemical delamination that can be built upon to advance the technical and economic viability of this solar recycling method.