Solar Panel Pyrolysis Sorting System

The complete recycling workflow is a closed, continuous process:

1. Incoming inspection & feeding — panels are inspected, stacked and fed automatically into the line.
2. Pre-treatment dismantling — the junction box removing machine separates junction boxes; the aluminum frame removing machine pulls the aluminum frame off in one clean piece.
3. Thermal pyrolysis (core process) — frameless panels enter the continuous pyrolysis tunnel furnace. In an oxygen-free atmosphere at 400–600 °C, the EVA encapsulant and polymer backsheet thermally decompose into combustible gas and oil, while tempered glass and silicon cells are released intact.
4. Pyrolysis Sorting System — after thermal decomposition, the material moves into the integrated sorting system: glass is separated and collected as clean, high-purity cullet, while the remaining silicon/metal/plastic mass is shredded (~50 mm strips), crushed (1–1.5 cm pieces), ground to 15–20 mesh powder and sorted by airflow/vibration and electrostatic separation into silicon powder, copper, mixed metals and plastics. Dust is captured throughout by the pulse dust collector.
5. Silver stripping — the silicon cells are processed through silver stripping to remove the silver paste from the cell surface, recovering silver that can be refined up to 99.99% purity — the highest-value fraction of the module — while the cleaned silicon is ready for separate sale or upgrading.

Q1. What capacity of solar panel recycling plant do I need?
A: Standard designs cover 500–2000 kg/h. Tell us your planned tons-per-day (e.g. 10 t/day at 2 shifts) and we will size the line accordingly. Larger custom capacities are also possible.

Q2. Which types of solar panels can this plant process?
A: It is designed mainly for crystalline silicon modules — monocrystalline and polycrystalline, including PERC, BSF, TOPCon, single-glass and double-glass (bifacial) panels — as well as damaged, hail-hit and delaminated panels. Thin-film (CdTe/CIGS) modules need a different route — please consult us.

Q3. What is the actual recovery rate?
A: Under proper process control, overall material recovery exceeds 95% of the panel weight, silicon wafer recovery can exceed 95%, and glass integrity retention exceeds 90%. Exact figures are confirmed by raw-material testing for your specific panels.

Q4. What products come out, and who buys them?
A: Aluminum frames (scrap metal market), clean glass (glass manufacturers), silicon powder (semiconductor/new-cell makers after purification), copper (electronics/remelting), plastics (plastic industry) and — optionally — silver concentrate/refined silver. Buyers include local scrap traders, glass factories, foundries and precious-metal refiners.

Q5. Is the process environmentally compliant?
A: Yes. Pyrolysis runs oxygen-free with no acid or alkali; the multi-stage exhaust gas purification system (secondary combustion, cooling, wet scrubbing, adsorption, catalytic oxidation) and pulse dust collection are engineered to meet the strictest international emission standards.

Q6. Does pyrolysis destroy the silicon cells?
A: No — that is the key advantage of pyrolysis over mechanical-only recycling. At 400–600 °C in an oxygen-free atmosphere, the EVA/backsheet decomposes while silicon cells and glass are released intact, which is why silicon wafer recovery can exceed 95%.

Q7. How long does installation and commissioning take?
A: Typically 2–4 weeks on site depending on line size and site readiness; our engineers handle installation, commissioning and operator training (or remote guidance, depending on scope).

Q8. Do you provide the silver extraction option?
A: Yes. As a precious-metal refining equipment manufacturer, we can integrate a silver extraction/refining module so you recover silver from the cell paste at more than 99% purity — turning the highest-value fraction of the panel into an extra revenue stream.