About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Thermodynamics for Sustainability: An EPD Symposium in Honor of Kazuki Morita
|
| Presentation Title |
Assessment of Suitable Molten Oxide Electrolyte for Green Silicon Production Derived from End-Of-life Solar Panel Glass |
| Author(s) |
Raden Salmanhakim, Reiza Mukhlis, Mark Pownceby, Chunlin Chen, M. Akbar Rhamdhani |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
M. Akbar Rhamdhani |
| Abstract Scope |
Silicon is a key metal for the global transition to renewable energy sources due to its widespread use in solar panel production. As a result, end-of-life (EOL) solar panel waste is expected to increase sharply. Conventional production of silicon, from primary or secondary sources, is typically via carbothermal reduction processes which emit significant amounts of CO2. This study addresses the challenge of producing low-CO2 silicon by molten oxide electrolysis using EOL PV-glass as a silicon source and an oxide-based electrolyte. Potential fluxing agents (CaO, Na2O, Al2O3) were added to adjust the thermophysical properties, including liquidus temperature, viscosity, electrical conductivity, electrochemical potential, and density, which were evaluated through thermodynamics modelling. Results showed that 20–30 wt% CaO yielded the best performance, enabling low viscosity, good conductivity, and selective silicon reduction. The study demonstrates the feasibility of turning solar panel waste into silicon metal, promoting a circular economy via a sustainable process. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Extraction and Processing, Pyrometallurgy, Sustainability |