Method for recycling end-of-life solar panels

1 . A method of recycling a solar panel, comprising:

removing a frame from the solar panel;

delaminating a glass cover, silicon wafers and a plastic backing of the solar panel using a green solvent adapted to weaken, rather than dissolve, an adhesive used in lamination of the solar panel thereby generating a delaminated material stream;

separating glass of the glass cover from the delaminated material stream;

separating the plastic backing from the delaminated material stream thereby generating a concentrated metals stream;

electrostatically separating insulator materials and electrically conducting materials from the concentrated metals stream thereby creating an insulator material stream and an electrically conducting material stream; and

separating silicon from other metals in the electrically conducting material stream.

2 . The method of claim 1 , including recycling the frame.

3 . The method of claim 2 , including recycling the glass.

4 . The method of claim 1 , including subjecting the solar panel to shredding following the removal of the frame and prior to the delaminating.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the separating of the glass is by screening the glass from the delaminated material stream.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further including further shredding the delaminated material stream following the separating of the glass.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the separating of the plastic backing is by screening.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further including recovering copper from the electrically conducting material stream.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further including recovering silver from the electrically conducting material stream.

10 . A method of recycling a solar panel, comprising:

delaminating a glass cover, silicon wafers and a plastic backing of the solar panel using a green solvent adapted to weaken, without fully dissolving, an adhesive used in lamination of the solar panel thereby generating a delaminated material stream;

separating glass of the glass cover from the delaminated material stream; and

separating the plastic backing from the delaminated material stream thereby generating a concentrated metals stream.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further including substantially avoiding (1) coating of metal-containing particles in the delaminated material stream, and (2) masking of conductive properties of the metal containing particles with fully dissolved adhesive.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further including electrostatically separating insulator materials and electrically conducting materials from the concentrated metals stream thereby creating an insulator material stream and an electrically conducting material stream.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further including recovering silicon from the other metals in the electrically conducting material stream.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further including recovering silver and copper from the electrically conducting material stream.

15 . A method of recycling a solar panel, comprising:

diffusing a solvent into a polymer adhesive used in lamination of the solar panel to expand the polymer adhesive and thereby generate a delaminated material stream without fully dissolving the polymer adhesive;

separating glass from the delaminated material stream; and

separating a plastic backing from the delaminated material stream thereby generating a concentrated metals stream.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further including electrostatically separating insulator materials and electrically conducting materials from the concentrated metals stream thereby creating an insulator material stream and an electrically conducting material stream.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further including recovering silicon from other metals in the electrically conducting material stream.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further including recovering silver and copper from the electrically conducting material stream.