What is alkaline based PV recycling system?

We develop a simple and alkaline-based PV recycling system that uses alkali to recycle Si, Ag, Cu, Pb, and Sn by etching the surface SiN x, SiO 2, Al, and Al 2 O 3 of Si cells and Pb-Sn oxides of the oxidized solder (Fig. 1).

What is alkali element post-deposition treatment (ALK PDT)?

Among several key advances, the alkali element post-deposition treatment (AlK PDT) is regarded as the most important finding in the last 10 years, which has led to the improvement of CIGS solar cell efficiency from 20.4% to 23.35%.

Can We Recycle critical metals from end-of-life Si solar cells?

We believe that it is a surprising new approach in the field of Sustainable Photovoltaics pertaining to the recycling of critical metals (e.g., Ag, Si, Al, Pb, Sn, Cu, etc.) from end-of-life Si solar cells, a finding that unlocks access to recovering critical metals that are hitherto needed for making new silicon solar cells.

Do alkali metals affect CIGS thin film and solar cells?

The influence of alkali metals on the properties of the CIGS thin film and solar cells has been extensively studied.30, 31, 32 Although the effects of alkali metals remain a controversial topic in the CIGS research field, the most notable alkali element-related effects discovered by researchers in the past are summarized as follows 33. i). ii).

Can We Recycle AG and Si from end-of-life solar panels?

We report a simple salt-etching approach to recycle Ag and Si from end-of-life Si solar panels without using toxic mineral acids and generating secondary pollution. The production and use of silicon (Si) solar panels is soaring during the transition to a carbon-neutral energy system.

How do heavier alkali metals affect p-n junction quality?

One of the most significant effects of the heavier alkali metals is the surface modification, where K is used to inhibit interface recombination to improve p-n junction quality.