Metals in Huawei s photovoltaic glass

What metals can be recovered from photovoltaic modules?

Recovering valuable metals such as Si, Ag, Cu, and Al has become a pressing issue as end-of-life photovoltaic modules need to be recycled in the near future to meet legislative requirements in most countries. Of major interest is the recovery and recycling of high-purity silicon (>99.9%) for the production of wafers and semiconductors.

What materials are used in solar PV?

Unlike the wind power and EV sectors, the solar PV industry isn’t reliant on rare earth materials. Instead, solar cells use a range of minor metals including silicon, indium, gallium, selenium, cadmium, and tellurium.

What materials are used in a PV module?

The bill of materials typically includes 69–75 wt% glass, 10–20 wt% aluminium, 2–3 wt% silicon, 2 wt% junction box, 4.4–7 wt% copper, 7 wt% polymer and a trace amount of silver (0.006–0.08 wt%), depending on the PV module designs available on the market 32, 33.

What metals are needed in China's PV industry?

The metals needed in China’s PV industry are divided into three categories: base, precious, and byproduct metals, where different methods are used to derive metal intensities in line with relevant sub-technologies and metal characteristics.

What materials are recovered from PV modules?

Different materials, such as glass, metals (ferrous and non-ferrous), polymers (plastics) and solar cell materials, are recovered from the PV modules after recycling at the treatment plant 80.

What metals do solar cells use?

Instead, solar cells use a range of minor metals including silicon, indium, gallium, selenium, cadmium, and tellurium. Minor metals, which are sometimes referred to as rare metals, are by-products from the refining of base metals such as copper, nickel, and zinc. As such, they are produced in smaller quantities.