Delamination of end-of-life photovoltaic modules as key for effective recycling
Amira Nemmour, Mohammad Abu Haija, Isam Janajreh
Abstract: The delamination of ethylene–vinyl acetate (EVA) encapsulant is a critical step for the recycling of end-of-life (EoL) photovoltaic (PV) modules. In this study, a solvent-based approach was systematically investigated to understand EVA–solvent interactions and to evaluate differences between pristine EVA and EVA recovered from EoL PV modules. An initial screening of fifteen organic solvents was conducted using standard pristine EVA at ambient temperature to assess the solubility behavior and establish baseline polymer–solvent compatibility. Hansen solubility parameter (HSP) analysis was employed to support the experimental observations and to guide the selection of promising solvents. These candidate solvents were subsequently applied to EVA samples extracted from EoL PV modules, including crosslinked EVA, under both ambient and elevated temperature conditions to evaluate delamination efficiency. Furthermore, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)/differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the thermal and chemical differences between pristine and EoL EVA. The results provide insights into how degradation and crosslinking influence EVA solubility and identify solvent systems with potential for effective delamination of EoL PV modules.
Keywords
Ethyl Vinyl Acetate (EVA), PV Recycling, Chemical Delamination, EVA Dissolution, Organic Solvents
Published online 6/20/2026, 11 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Amira Nemmour, Mohammad Abu Haija, Isam Janajreh, Delamination of end-of-life photovoltaic modules as key for effective recycling, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 67, pp 973-983, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904176-132
The article was published as article 132 of the book Climate Action and Sustainability
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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