Recycling of crystalline silicon photovoltaic solar panel waste to modified composite products

Abstract

This investigation highlights effective technology to convert crystalline silicon photovoltaic solar panel waste to composite products. The main problem with recycling photovoltaic modules is to economically separate and extract the materials in the laminated structure. This investigation was attempted to recycle c-Si photovoltaic modules using an unconventional method in which the cumbersome process of separating the materials in the module is avoided altogether. The aluminium frame, outer glass and junction box are removed mechanically and the rest of the c-Si PV module waste is powdered and blended with recycled polypropylene (PP) and Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) each to make compression moulded tiles. A total of six compression moulded tiles were made. Three tiles from each base material blended in three blend ratios (0%, 10% and 20%) with the powdered PV module waste. The tensile strengths of the tiles were tested and compared. The results prove that tiles made with recycled PP as a base material show very low tensile strength. However, recycled tiles made by blending with LDPE show appreciable tensile strength of more than 8 MPa. These tiles may be used to make furniture.