# University of Glasgow devises laser method to recover over 95% of silver from solar panels

- Published: 2026-11-06 08:29 UTC
- Section: Planet › Ecology & recycling
- Tags: photovoltaic recycling, selective silver recovery, laser delamination, crystalline silicon modules, University of Glasgow, EVA encapsulant separation
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-6e861a235b4390a485076eec_university_of_glasgow/

**Researchers separated EVA film from aged crystalline silicon cells using a fiber laser, achieving highly selective silver extraction in laboratory tests.**

![University of Glasgow devises laser method to recover over 95% of silver from solar panels](https://sgzwpqqelzmajkcubgkl.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/rt-media/2026/11/0b6382af356aee0f.jpg)
*Grendelkhan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0*

Engineers from the University of Glasgow, together with colleagues from Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University and Fraunhofer CSP, demonstrated a laser-induced delamination method that enables over 95% selective silver extraction from end-of-life crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules, according to nature.com [1]. Conventional recycling routes depend on mechanical shredding or bulk thermal pyrolysis, which generate mixed fractions that complicate metal separation. The experimental technique focuses energy precisely at the polymer-cell interface to avoid cross-contamination.

## Interface Delamination

The researchers used a 1,064 nm fiber laser combined with a hot-knife glass removal technique on module specimens aged roughly 10 to 13 years [1]. Tests were conducted on 20 mm × 20 mm samples across power levels ranging from 9 W to 27 W at pulse frequencies of 30 kHz, 40 kHz, and 50 kHz. The beam targets the ethylene–vinyl acetate (EVA) encapsulant directly at its boundary with the silicon cell. Separation of the polymer initiated at 12 W to 14 W and reached near completion between 18 W and 20 W, dividing the laminate into three distinct material streams: largely intact EVA film, isolated metallic busbars, and a silicon-rich ablated powder [1].

## Sequential Leaching

The resulting powder was processed through two-stage chemical leaching to extract metals without dissolving the crystalline silicon matrix [1]. First, a 1 M sodium hydroxide solution removed aluminum, which accounted for 7.79% to 8.54% of the ablated powder mass. Second, the authors treated the residue with an iron(III) chloride–choline chloride brine to recover silver. Silver extraction selectivity exceeded 95% for CS6P-245P panels and surpassed 99% for REC240PE panels, yielding silver fractions between 1.08% and 1.38% of the powder mass [1].

X-ray diffraction analysis verified that crystalline silicon remained stable after hydrometallurgical treatment while silver and aluminum peaks vanished [1]. By limiting thermal input strictly to the adhesive interface, the approach avoids heating the entire bulk laminate, reducing energy demand compared to traditional thermal or thermo-solvent recycling routes [1].

## Sources

1. [nature.com](https://www.nature.com/articles/s43246-026-01424-2?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
2. [pv-magazine.com](https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/11/06/laser-based-recycling-method-enables-over-95-selective-silver-recovery-from-end-of-life-solar-panels)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-6e861a235b4390a485076eec_university_of_glasgow/