公开(公告)号：US20250050394A1

公开(公告)日：2025-02-13

申请号：US18800633

申请日：2024-08-12

Applicant: Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Inventor： Yan Wang ,  Xiaotu MA ,  Owen Wang

IPC: B09B3/80 ,  B09B3/38 ,  B09B3/70 ,  B09B101/15 ,  C01B33/18

Abstract: A recycling process for exhausted, end-of-life solar panels achieves substantial recovery of silicon and silver, as well as other materials, from a recycling stream of discarded solar panels. Agitation and shredding of the solar panels yield a granular mass, which can be separated by particle size to yield the silicon rich solar cell material. Leaching with a strong base such as sodium hydroxide draws the silicon into the leach solution. Filtration of the leach solution draws off the silicon-rich solution and allows filtration of other valuable materials such as silver. Addition of an acid such as hydrochloric acid to the leach solution then precipitates the silicon into a nano silica powder of in the form of high purity silicon dioxide. The high purity silicon dioxide provides raw materials for recycled solar panels, lithium-ion batteries and other uses depending on the purity.