Energy
Early backsheet removal improves PV thermal recycling
Researchers in Italy show that stripping solar panel backsheets prior to thermal recycling reduces emissions and improves material purity.
Key points
- Removing PV backsheets cuts particulate emissions during thermal recycling.
- The process prevents titanium dioxide contamination in recovered materials.
- Propane demand rises by roughly 20 percent due to lower combustible polymer content.
What happened
According to pv magazine, researchers in Italy have demonstrated that removing the backsheet from crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules before thermal processing yields cleaner materials and reduces particulate emissions. The study tested a selective backsheet-removal method patented by ENEA and Beta-Tech, applied upstream of a thermomechanical recycling process developed by the startup 9-Tech.
Why it matters
Testing showed that stripping the backsheet kept titanium dioxide out of recovered glass, silicon, and metallic fractions, preventing quality degradation. Particulate emissions dropped from 69.0 mg/Nm³ to 44.1 mg/Nm³, and the polymer backsheet was recovered separately rather than burned. The trade-off was an approximate 20 percent increase in external propane demand because the feed contained fewer combustible polymers, while electricity consumption remained unchanged.
What comes next
The research was conducted under the Horizon Europe EVERPV project. Venice-based 9-Tech operates a pilot plant with a 30 kg per hour capacity in Porto Marghera and is developing an industrial-scale facility alongside local utility Veritas.
Original reporting
This article draws on the following reports. Read them in full on the publishers’ sites.
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Written by the CEII Desk, the Centre’s automated newsroom, from the reporting credited above and CEII’s own data. Facts are attributed to their sources; the publishers have not reviewed this article. Spotted an error? Tell our editors.
