Solar Panel Recycling Process

With the global energy transition towards cleaner sources, the solar photovoltaic panel industry has experienced rapid development. The first generation of solar panels has now entered its “end-of-life phase”. Solar photovoltaic modules typically comprise silicon-based semiconductor materials, glass, and metal frames, with a typical lifespan of 15-25 years. If discarded solar panels are not properly managed, the heavy metals and other hazardous substances they contain may contaminate soil and water. Discarded PV panels contain substantial recyclable resources: glass, aluminium frames, silicon wafers, plastics, junction boxes, and more. Glass constitutes 60-70% of a panel’s weight, while aluminium frames alone hold recycling value exceeding ten thousand tonnes. With resource wastage becoming increasingly critical, standardised recycling has become essential for the solar industry’s sustainable development. This article details the solar PV panel recycling process.

Solar Panel Recycling Process

Removing Junction Boxes and Aluminium Frames

First, a solar panel removal frame machine is used to remove the outer junction box and aluminium frame. Solar panels are fed into the system via an automatic loading machine. This machine features visual automatic size recognition, automatically adjusting the clamping range. Subsequent panel components can then be dismantled according to this dimension.
As the solar panel passes through the junction box removal equipment, the front-end vision system automatically identifies the junction box’s position within the panel and cuts it away. The junction boxes and aluminium frames can be sold directly. The remaining backsheets proceed to the next processing stage.

solar panel removal frame machine

Separation of Glass and Backsheet

Subsequently, the glass and backsheet must be separated from the photovoltaic panel. This requires a solar panel glass removal machine. The backsheet is heated via an electrically heated conveyor, softening the EVA adhesive between the glass and the cell layer to release its adhesive properties. Subsequently, a specialised glass removal machine is employed for extraction. The resulting glass particles can be packaged and sold directly.

solar panel glass removal machine

Cell Crushing and Screening

The glass-removed panels are fed into a shredder to break them into 3-5cm fragments. A high-speed pulveriser then reduces these to particles under 2.8mm. Initial screening separates some silicon powder. Larger particles are further ground into powder using a mill. Subsequently, a secondary vibrating screen separates silicon powder from plastics. Larger particles undergo density separation to extract copper. The remaining mixture is processed through conventional sorting to separate plastic and metal powders. The entire process involves multiple screening stages: vibrating screening, air classification, and electrostatic separation. This yields pure silicon powder, copper, plastics, and other valuable materials.

In summary, the solar PV panel recycling machine integrates automated identification, intelligent crushing, and multi-stage sorting into a comprehensive PV panel dismantling system. It transforms end-of-life solar panels into valuable resources, establishing a complete chain from dismantling to regeneration. Should you require further details regarding our PV panel recycling equipment, please do not hesitate to contact us.