Significant progress in silver recovery from used solar cells

The researchers of the University of Camerino, Italy, by developing an innovative method combining hydrometallurgy and electrochemical deposition, have taken a big step towards more efficient recovery of silver from used solar cells. This method, which is accompanied by an environmentally friendly method, has been able to achieve a significant silver recovery rate of 98.7%.

According to the scientific news department of Tekna Technology Media, commercial solar cells as one of the important sources of clean energy contain significant amounts of valuable metals such as aluminum, steel, copper, zinc and silver, while the recovery of aluminum and steel as structural components of cells is relatively simple. The recovery of precious metals such as copper and silver brings more technical challenges due to their presence in electrical circuits.

With the increasing use of solar energy and increasing the useful life of solar panels, the problem of waste management of this technology has become one of the main concerns. On the other hand, the limitation of mineral resources and the destructive effects of traditional metal extraction methods on the environment double the importance of recovering metals from electronic waste. has done

Researchers in this research have succeeded in effectively separating silver from other metals in solar cells by using a special chemical compound. In this method, persulfate activated with ammonia is used as an oxidizing agent, which leads to the formation of copper oxide as a layer. It is protected and prevented from dissolving by optimizing operational parameters such as concentration of chemicals, reaction time and temperature, researchers have been able to achieve high efficiency in silver separation.

In the continuation of this research, researchers have succeeded in recovering silver with very high purity from a solution containing copper ions by using the electro-deposition oxidation substitution method (EDRR). It provides nearly one hundred percent.

The development of this innovative method not only leads to more efficient recovery of valuable metals from solar cells, but it can also help reduce the pressure on mineral resources and reduce environmental pollution. Considering the increasing importance of renewable energy and the limitation of natural resources, this achievement can be an important step towards development of circular economy and environmental sustainability.

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