Photovoltaic Panel Pyrolysis Equipment Process Flow

As the global solar energy industry matures, more and more photovoltaic (PV) panels are approaching retirement. Currently, the mainstream PV panel recycling technologies fall into two main categories: PV panel crushing and sorting technology, and PV panel pyrolysis technology.

What is Photovoltaic Panel Pyrolysis Technology?

Pyrolysis refers to a thermal decomposition process carried out in an oxygen-free environment. For solar panel recycling, this involves heating the photovoltaic modules to temperatures between 400°C and 600°C. At these temperatures, the organic polymers (EVA adhesive and Teflon backsheet) undergo chemical decomposition, transforming into gases and oils. This process effectively “separates” the solar cells from the tempered glass.

In comparison, the PV panel pyrolysis recycling process has the following significant advantages:

Complete Glass Recycling: By thermally removing the adhesive layer, the tempered glass can be separated into clean glass sheets, maintaining its high transparency and market value.

High-Purity Silicon Extraction: Pyrolysis removes all organic residues from the silicon wafers. These “clean cells” can then undergo chemical etching to recover 6N-grade silicon, which is crucial for manufacturing new solar cells or semiconductors. Precious metal enrichment: Precious metals such as silver (Ag) and copper (Cu) can be easily collected from the dried residue after pyrolysis, with a recovery rate of over 98%.