High-performance silicon carbon anodes based on value-added recycling strategy of end-of-life photovoltaic modules

The global installed photovoltaic capacity has grown exponentially in recent years, which has produced an overwhelming number of end-of-life photovoltaic (PV) modules, which can be recycled. Researchers at home and abroad are in a degraded utilization state for the recycling of end-of-life photovoltaic modules, and it is urgent to develop new value-added recycling strategies. This work proposes and develops silicon-carbon composite anode materials by using recovered silicon cells from end-of-life PV modules using subsequent impurity leaching removal and graphite integration. The resulting W–Si-rM@G material was used as a lithium-ion battery anode and showed an initial discharge capacity of up to 1770 mA h g−1, maintained a good specific capacity of 913 mA h g−1 after 200 cycles at a current density of 500 mA g−1. An economic analysis confirmed the economic feasibility of silicon material recycling from end-of-life photovoltaic modules. This work provides a new and potential idea for the value-added recycling of end-of-life photovoltaic modules.