c-Si PV module recycling: Analysis of the use of a mechanical pre-treatment to reduce the environmental impact of thermal treatment and enhance materials recovery.

The current increase in the use of photovoltaic (PV) energy demands the search for solutions to recycle end-of-life modules. This study evaluated the use of a mechanical pre-treatment in the thermal recycling of c-Si crystalline PV modules, which were submitted to recycling routes to separate and concentrate the materials of interest. The first route was constituted by only thermal treatment, and the second route was constituted by a mechanical pre-treatment to remove the polymers from the backsheet, and subsequent thermal treatment.

What drives WEEE recycling? A comparative study concerning legislation, collection and recycling.

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) has been rising worldwide, and its improper management incurs in economic losses and environmental damage. To provide a better understanding of the forces that drive the management of WEEE, economic and political roles are discussed by comparing the WEEE recycling system of Brazil and Australia. Additional insights about the recycling systems were gathered from interviews with recyclers of both countries (in-loco visits and online/phone surveys).

Photovoltaic solar panels of crystalline silicon: Characterization and separation.

Photovoltaic panels have a limited lifespan and estimates show large amounts of solar modules will be discarded as electronic waste in a near future. In order to retrieve important raw materials, reduce production costs and environmental impacts, recycling such devices is important. Initially, this article investigates which silicon photovoltaic module's components are recyclable through their characterization using X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersion spectroscopy and atomic absorption spectroscopy.