Laser-induced delamination of aged silicon photovoltaic modules to achieve >95% selective silver recovery

Abstract End-of-life crystalline-silicon photovoltaic modules remain difficult to recycle because ethylene–vinyl acetate (EVA) adheres strongly to cell interfaces, and dominant routes rely on shredding or bulk thermal treatment, generating mixed fractions. Here, we demonstrate a laser delamination that separates EVA from the silicon cell and fractionates the laminate into three streams: intact EVA film with trace metal residues, isolated busbars and a silicon-rich ablated powder. The powder is leached sequentially: 1 M sodium hydroxide selectively removes aluminium, then silver is recovered in iron(III) chloride–choline chloride brine with high selectivity ( > 99% for REC240PE, >95% for CS6P-245P), leaving crystalline silicon. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most selective silver extraction reported for aged panels. Because the laser targets only the EVA–silicon interface, not the bulk laminate, the hot-knife plus laser route should need less energy than pyrolysis or thermo-solvent treatment, lowering process intensity while improving chemical tractability for selective metals recovery.