Laser Recycling

The Laser Recycling of Silver from Silicon Solar Cells project - US DOE EERE award number DE-EE0010244

The Laser Recycling of Silver from Silicon Solar Cells project is centered on pioneering laser-based methods to recover silver from decommissioned or waste silicon solar cells. It is estimated that 6.87 kg of silver can be extracted from each ton of end-of-life photovoltaic cells, making the recovery process crucial for resource conservation and economic viability. This research encompasses the generation of high-value silver nanoparticles and the debonding of silver electrodes from waste solar cells using laser processing. Integral to this project is the use of machine learning and image processing techniques to optimize and automate the laser process. By enhancing the efficiency of silver recovery, this work contributes to the sustainability of photovoltaic recycling and the reduction of electronic waste.

Publications

  • Publications

    1. Khetri, M., & Gupta, M. C. (2024). Recycling of silver from silicon solar cells by laser debonding. Solar Energy, 270, 112381.
    2. Khetri, M., & Gupta, M. C. (2024). Deep Learning for the Automation of Laser Scanning for the Silver Recovery from Waste Solar Cells. Draft in preparation.
    3. Khetri, M., & Gupta, M. C. (2024). Laser Processing to Recover Valuable Metals from CIGS Solar Cells. Draft in preparation for submission.

  • Conference Publications

    1. Khetri, M., Kanaujia, P. K., & Gupta, M. C. (2024, June).Laser Recycling Of Silver From Silicon And CIGS Solar Cells Through Bulk Laser Debonding And Nanoparticles By Laser Ablation. To be published in 2024 IEEE 52nd Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC) IEEE.
    2. Khetri, M., Kanaujia, P. K., & Gupta, M. C. (2023, June). Laser Recycling of Silver from Waste Silicon Solar Cells. In 2023 IEEE 50th Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC) (pp. 1-1). IEEE.