Chemical method for ethyl vinyl acetate removal in crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules

To recycle silicon from solar panels is required to remove the Ethyl Vinyl Acetate (EVA) encapsulant. Thermal methods produce gas emissions. Chemicals, such as toluene dissolve EVA but the process can take days. Here an alternative method to detach EVA from the solar cell is reported. After removing the glass and backsheet, the solar cell and the solvent were immersed in the thermal water bath. We evaluated three solvents (hexane, benzene, and toluene) at different temperatures and times. Better results were obtained using toluene; the process was optimized using 80 °C of temperature and 120 min. The method could remove 72% of the EVA from the solar cell. We also measured the effect of four scrapped grain sizes, having the best results with particles smaller than 0.86 mm.