{"title":"Life cycle assessment of Al-Cu-Ag-Si recycling process from photovoltaic waste","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107885","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>As raw materials become increasingly scarce, it is important to efficiently recycle PV panels to recover the highest quantity and quality of secondary raw materials. This study evaluates the environmental impact and the related benefits of an innovative process for c-Si PV panels recycling, which permits to recover most of the raw materials contained in them. Life Cycle Assessment analysis was carried out with “grave-to-cradle” perspective. Inventory was supported by data from a pilot plant located in Venice (Italy). ReCiPe 2016 method was used for the impact assessment. The results showed that environmental benefits are due to the recovery of aluminium, copper, silicon, silver and glass. Normalization of impact assessment results demonstrates main relevant impact categories of this process, and gravity analysis underlines what steps in the recycling process mainly contribute to the environmental benefits. Sensitivity analysis showed that quality of recovered materials influences the environmental profile of recycling process.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.2000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344924004786/pdfft?md5=388d96cb54442c13ba26e030ad7d48d8&pid=1-s2.0-S0921344924004786-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344924004786","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
As raw materials become increasingly scarce, it is important to efficiently recycle PV panels to recover the highest quantity and quality of secondary raw materials. This study evaluates the environmental impact and the related benefits of an innovative process for c-Si PV panels recycling, which permits to recover most of the raw materials contained in them. Life Cycle Assessment analysis was carried out with “grave-to-cradle” perspective. Inventory was supported by data from a pilot plant located in Venice (Italy). ReCiPe 2016 method was used for the impact assessment. The results showed that environmental benefits are due to the recovery of aluminium, copper, silicon, silver and glass. Normalization of impact assessment results demonstrates main relevant impact categories of this process, and gravity analysis underlines what steps in the recycling process mainly contribute to the environmental benefits. Sensitivity analysis showed that quality of recovered materials influences the environmental profile of recycling process.
期刊介绍:
The journal Resources, Conservation & Recycling welcomes contributions from research, which consider sustainable management and conservation of resources. The journal prioritizes understanding the transformation processes crucial for transitioning toward more sustainable production and consumption systems. It highlights technological, economic, institutional, and policy aspects related to specific resource management practices such as conservation, recycling, and resource substitution, as well as broader strategies like improving resource productivity and restructuring production and consumption patterns.
Contributions may address regional, national, or international scales and can range from individual resources or technologies to entire sectors or systems. Authors are encouraged to explore scientific and methodological issues alongside practical, environmental, and economic implications. However, manuscripts focusing solely on laboratory experiments without discussing their broader implications will not be considered for publication in the journal.