Solar cell module resource recovery method

Abstract

To provide a method for more easily recovering resources from solar cell modules. [Solution] The photovoltaic module resource recovery method includes a crushing step S1 in which the solar module 100 is crushed while the solar cell 10, the sealing material 20, the back sheet 30 and the substrate 40 are integrated together, and a separation step in which the crushed material produced in the crushing step is rubbed together to turn the solar cell in the crushed material into a powder form and to separate the sealing material fragments, the back sheet fragments and the substrate fragments in the crushed material from one another.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for recovering resources from photovoltaic modules. [Background technology]

[0002] Photovoltaic cells generate electricity using the clean energy of sunlight, and are therefore considered effective in reducing the burden on the environment. The photovoltaic cell module contained in a photovoltaic cell comprises a photovoltaic cell that realizes photoelectric conversion, a sealant that seals the photovoltaic cell, a glass substrate that protects the front of the photovoltaic cell, and a backsheet that protects the back of the photovoltaic cell. Photovoltaic modules deteriorate over time due to use in harsh environments exposed to sunlight, and they become subject to replacement due to deterioration in light transmittance and mechanical properties, but there is a demand for recovering valuable resources from deteriorated photovoltaic cell modules and reusing them.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for separating a photovoltaic module into each material. In this method, first, a pre-process is performed in which the back sheet is mechanically peeled off from the photovoltaic module, then a separation process is performed in which the photovoltaic module from which the back sheet has been peeled off is immersed in a stripping agent solution to separate the glass substrate from the photovoltaic module, and then a process is performed in which the encapsulant and the photovoltaic cells are separated and recovered. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-104406 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The method described in Patent Document 1 requires a step of mechanically peeling off only the back sheet from the photovoltaic module, which is time-consuming.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for more easily recovering resources from photovoltaic modules. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention is a method for recovering resources from a solar module including a solar cell containing silicon, a first resin sealing material sealing the solar cell, a second resin back sheet provided on the back surface of the solar cell via the sealing material, and a glass substrate provided on the front surface of the solar cell via the sealing material, the method comprising: a crushing step of crushing the solar module in a state in which the solar cell, the sealing material, the back sheet, and the substrate are integrated; and a separation step of rubbing together crushed pieces produced in the crushing step to powderize the solar cell in the crushed piece and to separate fragments of the sealing material, fragments of the back sheet, and fragments of the substrate in the crushed piece from one another. In the separation step, the crushed material is added to a peptide solution and stirred. do. The present invention also provides a method for recovering resources from a solar module including a silicon-containing solar cell, a first resin sealing material sealing the solar cell, a second resin back sheet provided on the back of the solar cell via the sealing material, and a glass substrate provided on the front of the solar cell via the sealing material, the method comprising: a crushing step of crushing the solar module in a state in which the solar cell, the sealing material, the back sheet, and the substrate are integrated; a separation step of rubbing the crushed products produced in the crushing step together to powder the solar cell in the crushed product and to separate the sealing material fragments, the back sheet fragments, and the substrate fragments in the crushed product from one another; and a precipitation step of introducing the powdered product of the solar cell, the sealing material fragments, the back sheet fragments, and the substrate fragments obtained in the separation step into a peptide solution to cause precipitation. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for more easily recovering resources from a photovoltaic module. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a photovoltaic module used in an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a flow of a photovoltaic module resource recovery method according to the first embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, a photovoltaic module resource recovery method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] First Embodiment First, a photovoltaic module resource recovery method according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a photovoltaic module 100 used in the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the photovoltaic module 100 includes a photovoltaic cell 10 that realizes photoelectric conversion, a sealant 20 that seals the photovoltaic cell 10, a back sheet 30 that protects the rear surface of the photovoltaic cell 10, and a substrate 40 that protects the front surface of the photovoltaic cell 10.

[0012] The solar cell 10 is made of a semiconductor containing silicon. Specifically, the solar cell 10 has a structure in which an i-type amorphous silicon layer, a p-type amorphous silicon layer, and a transparent conductive layer are formed in this order on the light receiving surface of an n-type single crystal silicon substrate. The transparent conductive layer is preferably made of a transparent conductive oxide in which a metal oxide such as indium oxide (In2O3) or zinc oxide (ZnO) is doped with tin (Sn), antimony (Sb), or the like.

[0013] The encapsulant 20 is a resin sheet having excellent transparency, flexibility, adhesiveness, tensile strength, and weather resistance, such as an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) sheet or a polyvinyl butyral (PVB) sheet. In the photovoltaic module 100, the photovoltaic cell 10 is sandwiched between the encapsulant 30. The encapsulant 20 has adhesive properties and is bonded to the back sheet 30 and the substrate 40.

[0014] The back sheet 30 is a resin sheet formed by laminating, for example, fluorine-based resin or polyester-based resin, and is provided on the back surface of the photovoltaic cell 10 via a sealing material 20. The back sheet 30 is required to be weather-resistant and moisture-resistant since it will be exposed to the outdoor environment.

[0015] The substrate 40 is made of glass and is provided on the front surface of the photovoltaic cell 10 via the sealing material 20. The substrate 40 is required to be weather-resistant and moisture-resistant since it will be exposed to the outdoor environment, similar to the back sheet 30. The substrate 40 is also required to be transparent in order to transmit as much sunlight as possible.

[0016] In this embodiment, valuable resources are recovered from the photovoltaic cell module 100. Examples of valuable resources in the photovoltaic cell module 100 include various metals such as silicon (Si), silver (Ag), and copper (Cu), and glass. Among these, silicon is highly valuable because it is in wide demand not only for photovoltaic cells but also for semiconductors.

[0017] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a flow of a photovoltaic module resource recovery method according to the present embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the photovoltaic module resource recovery method includes a crushing step S1, a separation step S2, a precipitation step S3, and a resource recovery step S4.

[0018] In the pulverization step S1, the photovoltaic cell module 100 is pulverized. For example, a crushing mill can be used for pulverization. In the pulverization step S1, the photovoltaic cell module 100 is finely pulverized to about 1 mm to 10 mm, more preferably about 3 mm to 5 mm.

[0019] The crushing is performed while the solar cell 10, the sealing material 20, the back sheet 30 and the substrate 40 remain integrated together. That is, in the crushing step S1, a crushed product is generated in which fragments of the solar cell 10, fragments of the sealing material 20, fragments of the back sheet 30 and fragments of the substrate 40 are integrated together.

[0020] When the photovoltaic module 100 includes a frame (not shown) in which the photovoltaic cells 10, the encapsulant 20, the back sheet 30 and the substrate 40 are assembled, it is preferable to remove the frame from the photovoltaic module before the crushing step S1.

[0021] The frame is provided between the back sheet 30 and the substrate 40. The frame is provided along the periphery of the back sheet 30 and the substrate 40, and is used to protect the periphery of the back sheet 30 and the substrate 40 as well as to fix adjacent photovoltaic cell modules 100. The frame is a frame made of a metal such as iron, stainless steel, or aluminum. From the viewpoints of light weight, thermal conductivity, etc., it is more preferable that the frame be made of aluminum.

[0022] In the separation step S2, the pulverized materials produced in the pulverization step S1 are rubbed together. By rubbing the pulverized materials together, the solar cell 10 in the pulverized material becomes powdery, and the pieces of the sealing material 20, the pieces of the back sheet 30, and the pieces of the substrate 40 in the pulverized material are separated from one another.

[0023] The grinding of the ground materials may be by stirring or vibration. The vibration includes ultrasonic vibration. The ultrasonic vibration may be one cycle or a combination of two or more cycles. The grinding of the ground materials may be performed in a drum-type container, a cylindrical container, or other container.

[0024] In the precipitation step S3, the powdered material of the solar cell 10, the fragments of the encapsulant 20, the fragments of the back sheet 30, and the fragments of the substrate 40 obtained in the separation step S2 are put into a solution and allowed to settle. The powdered material of the solar cell 10, the fragments of the encapsulant 20, the fragments of the back sheet 30, and the fragments of the substrate 40 settle in the order of decreasing specific gravity.

[0025] Specifically, the specific gravity of the glass used in the substrate 40 is about 2.5, the specific gravity of the silicon used in the photovoltaic cell 10 is about 2.3, the specific gravity of the resin used in the back sheet is about 1.1 to 2.17 (for example, the specific gravity of fluorine-based resin is about 2.12 to 2.17, and the specific gravity of polyester-based resin is about 1.1 to 1.4), and the specific gravity of the resin used in the sealing material 20 is about 0.95 to 1.2 (for example, the specific gravity of EVA is about 0.95, and the specific gravity of PVB is about 1.05 to 1.2). Therefore, in the precipitation step S3, the fragments of the substrate 40, the powder of the photovoltaic cell 10, the fragments of the back sheet 30, and the fragments of the sealing material 20 are precipitated in this order.

[0026] The liquid may be water or a solution. The solution may be a peptide solution, more specifically, a nattokinase solution. The peptide solution has the effect of promoting the precipitation of fine solids mixed in the solution. By using the peptide solution in the precipitation step S3, the time required for precipitation can be shortened, and the time required for resource recovery can be shortened.

[0027] The solution may be an aqueous solution of citric acid and chitosan. Citric acid is effective in condensing electrolytes. Chitosan (from crab or shrimp shells) has an insulating effect in addition to its condensing effect. Since the photovoltaic cell 10 may be charged, chitosan can be added to insulate the fragments of the photovoltaic cell 10.

[0028] In the precipitation step S3, instead of putting the powdered material of the photovoltaic cell 10, the fragments of the encapsulant 20, the fragments of the back sheet 30, and the fragments of the substrate 40 into the solution, the solution may be poured onto the powdered material of the photovoltaic cell 10, the fragments of the encapsulant 20, the fragments of the back sheet 30, and the fragments of the substrate 40. Also, in the separation step S2, the crushed materials may be rubbed together while being poured with the liquid.

[0029] In the resource recovery step S4, the fragments of the substrate 40, the powdered material of the solar cell 10, the fragments of the back sheet 30, and the fragments of the sealant 20 that have settled in the settling step S3 are recovered. Specifically, when the fragments of the substrate 40 settle in the liquid, the fragments of the substrate 40 (glass pellets) are recovered, when the powdered material of the solar cell 10 settles, the powdered material of the solar cell 10 (silicon mud) is recovered, when the fragments of the back sheet 30 settle, the fragments of the back sheet 30 are recovered, and when the fragments of the sealant 20 settle, the fragments of the sealant 20 are recovered. The solution after the precipitate is recovered can be reused in the settling step S3. The silicon mud is then dried to become a powder cake and is recycled.

[0030] The resource recovery can be performed using known techniques, such as gravity separation, melting point separation, or magnetic separation.

[0031] In the present embodiment described above, the crushed materials are rubbed together to turn the photovoltaic cell 10 in the crushed material into a powder form, and the fragments of the sealing material 20, the fragments of the back sheet 30, and the fragments of the substrate 40 in the crushed material are separated from one another. This eliminates the need for a process of peeling only the back sheet 30 from the sealing material 20. This reduces the effort required and makes it easier to recover resources.

[0032] <Second embodiment> Next, a photovoltaic cell module resource recovery method according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same or corresponding configurations as those described in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings and will not be described.

[0033] The photovoltaic cell module resource recovery method according to this embodiment includes a crushing step S1, a separating step S2, a settling step S3, and a resource recovery step S4, similarly to the first embodiment.

[0034] In the first embodiment, the separation step S2 is a dry process, but in the present embodiment, the separation step S2 is a wet process. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the pulverized material produced in the pulverization step S1 is put into a liquid, and the pulverized materials are rubbed together in the liquid. The pulverized materials may be rubbed together by stirring or vibration. The pulverized materials may be rubbed together in a drum-type container, a cylindrical container, or another container.

[0035] The liquid may be water or a solution. The solution may be a peptide solution, more specifically, a nattokinase solution. The solution may be an aqueous citric acid solution or an aqueous chitosan solution.

[0036] In the first embodiment, the precipitation step S3 involves putting the powdered material of the photovoltaic cell 10, the fragments of the sealing material 20, the fragments of the back sheet 30, and the fragments of the substrate 40 separated in the separation step S2 into a liquid and allowing them to precipitate. In this embodiment, the stirring or vibration in the separation step S2 is stopped to allow the powdered material of the photovoltaic cell 10, the fragments of the sealing material 20, the fragments of the back sheet 30, and the fragments of the substrate 40 to precipitate. When a peptide solution is used in the separation step S2, the time required for precipitation can be shortened, and the time required for resource recovery can be shortened.

[0037] In the present embodiment described above, the crushed material is rubbed together in liquid to turn the photovoltaic cell 10 in the crushed material into a powder form, and the fragments of the sealant 20, the fragments of the back sheet 30, and the fragments of the substrate 40 in the crushed material are separated from one another. This eliminates the need for a step of peeling only the back sheet 30 from the sealant 20, and also eliminates the need for a step of putting the powdered material of the photovoltaic cell 10, the fragments of the sealant 20, the fragments of the back sheet 30, and the fragments of the substrate 40 into liquid. This reduces the effort and makes it easier to recover resources.

[0038] Although the present embodiment has been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can come up with various modified or altered examples within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that such examples also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0039] In the separation step S2, the crushed material may be put into a stripping agent solution and rubbed against each other. By using the stripping agent solution, the stripping agent solution penetrates the sealant 20 and the sealant 20 swells. As a result, the substrate 40 is peeled off from the sealant 20. The peeling caused by the penetration of the stripping agent solution is considered to be due to reactive diffusion that repeats swelling and interfacial peeling. Specifically, the sealant 20 swells and changes in volume due to the stripping agent solution, while the substrate 40 does not swell or change in volume, so that shear stress is generated between the sealant 20 and the substrate 40, leading to peeling. It is more preferable to use ultrasonic vibration in a high-temperature stripping agent solution bath, which can further shorten the peeling time of the sealant 20 in the high-temperature liquid. The ultrasonic vibration may be used in one cycle or in combination of two or more cycles.

[0040] A neutral release agent containing a hydrocarbon-based solvent can be used as the release agent solution. In the photovoltaic cell module 100, a material having good optical transparency, weather resistance, moisture resistance, and adhesiveness, as well as good electrical properties such as mechanical properties, electrical insulation, and voltage resistance, is used as the sealant 20. For example, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) and polyvinyl butyral (PVB) are often used, but these resins are cross-linked and firmly fixed to protect the photovoltaic cell, making it very difficult to separate the substrate 40 from the sealant 20. However, by using a neutral release agent containing a hydrocarbon-based solvent, it is possible to penetrate into the sealant and swell the resin components, making it easy to separate the substrate 40 from the sealant 20.

[0041] The neutral release agent preferably mainly contains a hydrocarbon solvent and an acetate solvent. Examples of the hydrocarbon solvent include any straight-chain hydrocarbon having 5 or more carbon atoms, such as pentane, hexane, heptane, octane, nonane, decane, undecane, dodecane, tridecane, tetradecane, pentadecane, and hexadecane, any branched hydrocarbon having 5 or more carbon atoms, such as isopentane, isohexane, isoheptane, isooctane, isononane, isodecane, isoundecane, isododecane, isoundecane, isododecane, isotridecane, isotetradecane, isopentadecane, and isohexadecane, and α-olefin having 5 or more carbon atoms, such as 1-pentene, 1-hexene, 1-octene, 1-decene, 1-dodecene, 1-tetradecene, 1-hexadecene, and 1-octadecene. More preferred are isohexane, isopentane, isododecane, isotridecane, 1-hexene, 1-octene, 1-dodecene, and 1-tetradecene. The content of the hydrocarbon solvent in the neutral release agent is preferably 10 to 70% by weight, more preferably 20 to 70% by weight.

[0042] Examples of acetate-based solvents include 3-methoxy-3-methyl-1-butyl acetate, dipropylene glycol methyl ether acetate, dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate, and propylene glycol diacetate. Preferred examples include 3-methoxy-3-methyl-1-butyl acetate and dipropylene glycol methyl ether acetate. The content of the acetate-based solvent in the neutral release agent is preferably 5 to 20% by weight, more preferably 7 to 15% by weight.

[0043] The neutral release agent preferably uses a surfactant, a glycol-based solvent, or an alcohol-based solvent as a solubilizing agent, and can be made into a release agent without a flash point by solubilizing a hydrocarbon-based solvent in water. The content of the solubilizing agent in the neutral release agent is preferably 5 to 20% by weight, more preferably 7 to 15% by weight. A penetrating agent for improving penetration may also be added. As the surfactant, any of an anionic surfactant, a cationic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant, and an amphoteric surfactant may be contained, but among them, it is preferable to use a nonionic surfactant. The content of the surfactant in the neutral release agent is preferably 5 to 20% by weight, more preferably 7 to 15% by weight.

[0044] The glycol-based solvent is selected from aliphatic glycols and aromatic glycols. Examples of aliphatic glycols include ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, triethylene glycol, methyl diglycol, methyl triglycol, isopropyl diglycol, butyl diglycol, hexyl glycol, hexyl diglycol, 2-ethylhexyl glycol, and 2-ethylhexyl diglycol, and examples of aromatic glycols include benzyl glycol, benzyl diglycol, benzyl triglycol, phenyl glycol, and phenyl diglycol. At least one of these is contained, but two or more may be used in combination. The content of the glycol-based solvent in the neutral release agent is preferably 0.1 to 10% by weight, more preferably 1 to 5% by weight.

[0045] Examples of the alcohol-based solvent include monohydric alcohol-based solvents, which are selected from aliphatic alcohols and aromatic alcohols. Examples of the aliphatic alcohol include methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, and butyl alcohol, and examples of the aromatic alcohol include benzyl alcohol, 4-methylbenzyl alcohol, 2-ethylbenzyl alcohol, and phenoxyethanol. Of these, it is preferable to select from benzyl alcohol, 4-methylbenzyl alcohol, 2-ethylbenzyl alcohol, and phenoxyethanol as aromatic alcohols. Benzyl alcohol and phenoxyethanol are particularly preferable. The content of the alcohol-based solvent is preferably 0.1 to 5% by weight, more preferably 1 to 5% by weight.

[0046] Examples of the penetrating agent include acetylene surfactants, ethylene oxide-added nonionic surfactants, and alkylsulfonic acid anionic surfactants, and preferably, acetylene surfactants can be used. At least one of these is included, but two or more of them may be used in combination. The content of the penetrating agent is preferably 0.1 to 5% by weight, more preferably 0.1 to 3% by weight.

[0047] Water can be contained as the neutral stripping agent. The water may be tap water, distilled water, ion-exchanged water, pure water, or the like. The water constituting the neutral stripping agent of the present invention is for dissolving the above-mentioned surfactant components, and may be blended in an amount that is the remainder of the amount of the hydrocarbon-based solvent, acetate-based solvent, glycol-based solvent, alcohol-based solvent, surfactant, penetrant, or the like added. The neutral stripping agent of the present invention may also be called a quasi-aqueous stripping agent, since it contains water as a component.

[0048] A preferred neutral release agent contains 10 to 70% by weight of 1-dodecene or 1-tetradecene as a hydrocarbon solvent, 5 to 20% by weight of 3-methoxy-3-methyl-1-butyl acetate or dipropylene glycol methyl ether acetate as an acetate solvent, 5 to 20% by weight of 2-ethylhexyl diglycol, a nonionic surfactant, benzyl alcohol or phenoxyethanol as a solubilizing agent, 0.1 to 5% by weight of an acetylene surfactant as a penetrating agent, and the remainder is water.

[0049] In addition, by using a stripping agent solution in the separation step S2, the stripping agent is permeated into the crushed material in which the fragments of the sealing material 20 and the fragments of the solar cell 10 are integrated, and the fragments of the sealing material 20 and the fragments of the solar cell 10 are peeled off, and the fragments of the sealing material 20 and the fragments of the solar cell 10 can be separated in the stripping agent solution based on the difference in their specific gravities.

[0050] As the stripper solution for stripping the pieces of the sealant 20 from the pieces of the solar cell 10, an alkaline stripper can be preferably used. More preferably, an alkaline stripper containing a propylene glycol-based solvent and / or a dialkyl glycol-based solvent can be used. The alkaline stripper can penetrate into the interface between the sealant 20 and the solar cell 10 and strip the sealant 20 from the solar cell 10. Furthermore, by stirring the stripper solution in the stripper solution, the sealant 20 floats to the upper layer in the stripper solution due to the difference in specific gravity, and the solar cell 10 containing silicon sinks to the lower layer in the stripper solution.

[0051] Any alkaline stripping agent can be used, but more preferably, a stripping agent made alkaline by adding an amine-based solvent to a propylene glycol-based solvent and / or a dialkyl glycol-based solvent can be used. Furthermore, the alkaline stripping agent may contain a hydrocarbon-based solvent, a surfactant, and water. A water-based alkaline stripping agent is more preferable because it is a safe stripping agent for this recycling process.

[0052] Examples of propylene glycol-based solvents as alkaline stripping agents include methyl propylene glycol, methyl propylene diglycol, methyl propylene triglycol, propyl propylene glycol, propyl propylene diglycol, butyl propylene glycol, butyl propylene diglycol, butyl propylene triglycol, phenyl propylene glycol, and methyl propylene glycol acetate, and among these, methyl propylene glycol, methyl propylene diglycol, and methyl propylene triglycol are preferred.

[0053] Examples of dialkyl glycol solvents as alkaline stripping agents include dimethyl glycol, dimethyl diglycol, dimethyl triglycol, diethyl diglycol, dibutyl diglycol, and dimethyl propylene diglycol, and among these, diethyl diglycol and dimethyl propylene diglycol are preferred.

[0054] Examples of amine solvents as alkaline strippers include monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, monoisopropanolamine, dipropanolamine, tripropanolamine, N,N-dimethylethanolamine, N,N-diethylethanolamine, N,N-dibutylethanolamine, N-(β-aminoethyl)ethanolamine, N-methylethanolamine, N-methyldiethanolamine, N-ethylethanolamine, N-ethyldiethanolamine, Nn-butylethanolamine, Nn-butyldiethanolamine, and N- Examples of the amine include mono- and trialkanolamines such as (β-aminoethyl)isopropanolamine and N,N-diethylisopropanolamine, alicyclic amines such as 2-ethylhexylamine, cyclohexylamine, and dimethylaminocyclohexane, aromatic amines such as aniline and toluidine, dialkylamines such as diamylamine, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethylformamide, and N,N-dimethylacetamide, and among these, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, monoisopropanolamine, and dipropanolamine are preferred.

[0055] An example of an alkaline stripping agent is one that contains 20-60% by weight of a propylene glycol solvent, 10-35% by weight of a dialkyl glycol solvent, 5-15% by weight of an amine solvent, 1-10% by weight of a hydrocarbon solvent, 0.1-5% by weight of an acetylene penetrant, and the remaining water. Among these, an example of an alkaline stripping agent is one that contains 30% by weight of dipropylene glycol methyl ether acetate, 49% by weight of methylpropylene triglycol, 10% by weight of monoisopropanolamine, 5% by weight of 1-tetradecene, 1% by weight of an acetylene penetrant, and the remaining water.

[0056] The neutral release agent and alkaline release agent of the present invention may contain various additives, which are incorporated in conventional release agents, such as antioxidants, ultraviolet absorbers, viscosity modifiers, thickeners, colorants such as pigments, and fragrances, as necessary. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 100··Photovoltaic module 10. Solar cell 20. Sealing material 30 Back seat 40... Substrate

Claims

1. A method for recovering resources from a solar module including a solar cell containing silicon, a first resin sealing material for sealing the solar cell, a second resin back sheet provided on a back surface of the solar cell via the sealing material, and a glass substrate provided on a front surface of the solar cell via the sealing material, comprising: a crushing step of crushing the solar module in a state in which the solar cell, the encapsulant, the back sheet and the substrate are integrated together; a separation step of rubbing the pulverized material produced in the pulverization step against each other to powderize the solar cell in the pulverized material and to separate the fragments of the sealing material, the fragments of the back sheet, and the fragments of the substrate in the pulverized material from each other, In the separation step, the pulverized material is added to a peptide solution and stirred. Method for recycling solar cell modules.

2. A method for recovering resources from a solar module comprising: a solar cell containing silicon; a first resin sealing material for sealing the solar cell; a second resin backsheet provided on a back surface of the solar cell via the sealing material; and a glass substrate provided on a front surface of the solar cell via the sealing material, comprising: a crushing step of crushing the solar module in a state in which the solar cell, the encapsulant, the back sheet and the substrate are integrated together; a separation step of rubbing the pulverized material produced in the pulverization step against each other to powderize the solar cell in the pulverized material and to separate the fragments of the sealing material, the fragments of the back sheet, and the fragments of the substrate in the pulverized material from each other; A precipitation step of introducing the powdered material of the solar cell, the fragments of the sealing material, the fragments of the back sheet, and the fragments of the substrate obtained in the separation step into a peptide solution and precipitating the resulting product. Method for recycling solar cell modules.

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