One of the technical challenges with the recovery of valuable materials from end-of-life (EOL) photovoltaic (PV) modules for recycling is the liberation and separation of the materials. We present a potential method to liberate and separate shredded EOL PV panels for the recovery of Si wafer particles. The backing material is removed by submersion in liquid nitrogen, while the encapsulant is removed by pyrolysis. After pyrolysis, separation of the liberated particles (i.e., Si wafer and glass) is carried out by using particle size and shape with mechanical screening. Using this robust approach, a Si wafer grade of 86% and a recovery of 88% were achieved.

中文翻译：

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报废光伏面板材料的物理分离和选矿：利用温度波动和颗粒形状

从报废 (EOL) 光伏 (PV) 模块中回收有价值材料以进行回收的技术挑战之一是材料的释放和分离。我们提出了一种潜在的方法来释放和分离切碎的 EOL PV 面板，以回收硅晶片颗粒。背衬材料通过浸入液氮去除，而密封剂通过热解去除。热解后，通过使用机械筛选的粒度和形状来分离释放的颗粒（即，硅晶片和玻璃）。使用这种稳健的方法，硅晶片品位达到 86%，回收率达到 88%。