Methods for recycling photovoltaic modules and their impact on environment and raw material extraction

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216305%3A26220%2F17%3APU124956" target="_blank" >RIV/00216305:26220/17:PU124956 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://actamont.tuke.sk/pdf/2017/n3/4strachala.pdf" target="_blank" >https://actamont.tuke.sk/pdf/2017/n3/4strachala.pdf</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

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Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Methods for recycling photovoltaic modules and their impact on environment and raw material extraction

Original language description

This work deals with methods of recycling of photovoltaic modules and evaluates contribution of recycling to the environment and reduction of raw materials extraction. The article describes the materials needed to manufacture photovoltaic modules and energy intensity of production processes. Three methods of recycling were used - thermal, chemical and mechanical. The experiments have shown that the recycling of PV modules by thermal method is more advantageous than using a chemical method. The length of the process is significantly shorter and there are lower financial costs. The disadvantage of thermal treatment is the formation of emission gases during evaporation of the EVA copolymer and also a risk of waffer damage. In mechanical recycling process it is very important to know which technologies and devices are suitable to creation of crushed material. If the PV modules are bigger than 1 x 1 m, it was necessary to divide them into two parts because the chain crusher must be able to crush the pieces as effectively as possible. From the entire mechanical recycling process it can be seen that the silver-containing crushed material up to 0.07 % is not economically advantageous to process chemically. The silver content does not cover the cost of basic operations during recycling process. Based on obtained data was also theoretically calculated the amount of saved material due to PV module recycling until year 2025. Recycling could save up to 351 500 tons of glass, 51 500 tons of aluminum, 13 567 silicon and 425 tons of silver.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

20201 - Electrical and electronic engineering

Project

<a href="/en/project/LO1210" target="_blank" >LO1210: Energy for Sustainable Development</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2017

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Acta Montanistica Slovaca

ISSN

1335-1788

e-ISSN

1339-3103

Volume of the periodical

22

Issue of the periodical within the volume

3

Country of publishing house

SK - SLOVAKIA

Number of pages

13

Pages from-to

257-269

UT code for WoS article

000423265000004

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85037744159