Development of innovative systems for the purification and recovery of materials coming from the recycling of photovoltaic panels.

In the last decades, there has been exponential growth in the photovoltaic (PV) industry, bringing the total cumulative installed PV capacity to over 1.5 TWp by the end of 2023. Nevertheless, a total of 78 million tonnes of PV panels is estimated globally by 2050. Recycling is essential to manage this incoming quantity of end-of-life (EoL) PV panels, preventing inappropriate disposal, which can be dangerous for the environment due to some hazardous substances contained in the panels. This thesis aims to present a complete analysis of the current situation regarding EoL solar panels, describing the existing recycling technologies to recover valuable materials. Moreover, the current recycling process implemented by EcoWeTech S.r.l was described. Further, characterization tests were performed to determine the composition of the recycled fractions achieved during the process, to identify if there were impurities that would impact their quality. Finally, potential applications of the obtained materials in different industries were explored, to reintegrate them into the circular economy.