Recycling silicon photovoltaic cells into silicon anodes for Li-ion batteries using 3D printing
With the increasing adoption of solar energy, the disposal of end-of-life photovoltaic modules has become a growing environmental concern. As crystalline silicon has significant potential as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, this study investigates recycling waste solar cell material into batteries using 3D printing. An open-source toolchain is developed to ensure accessible replication including a ball mill for grinding the waste silicon, a bottle roller for synthesizing novel stereolithography (SLA) resins and an SLA 3D printer for geometric control of the deposition of the materials. The materials were characterized at each step using spectrometry analysis, differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis of the polymer resin, optical microscopy on the printed parts, as well as scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction on the pyrolyzed parts. Electrochemical characterization, including cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge–discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, was performed on the assembled batteries. A mixture of 12% ground silicon solar cells with SLA resin was used for 3D printing the anodes and the samples were pyrolyzed at 1400 °C. The electrochemical tests from the anodes demonstrated a specific capacity of around 400 mA h g−1 with 89% capacity retention and coulombic efficiency more than 100% over 200 cycles. This study presents a promising sustainable solution by integrating recycled solar cell waste into lithium-ion battery anode production, which can address both waste management and energy storage challenges.
| Type | |
|---|---|
| Authors | Maryam Mottaghi Apoorv Kulkarni Joshua M. Pearce |
| Location | London, ON, Canada |
| Status | Designed Modelled Prototyped Verified |
| Verified by | FAST |
| Years | |
| Uses | 3D Printing |
| Links | https://osf.io/xa4ws/ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ohx.2023.e00423 |
Sustainability spotlight
[edit | edit source]The growing amount of solar photovoltaic module waste poses significant environmental and economic concerns. This research addresses the challenge through fabrication of anodes for lithium-ion batteries through the recycling of silicon from discarded solar cells. Additionally, the integration of 3D printing techniques enables precise engineering of complex anode structures, enhancing battery performance by increasing energy density without sacrificing power density. This innovative approach represents a promising step toward improving the performance of sustainable and cost-effective energy storage devices as well as improving the end of life of photovoltaic systems. The batteries assembled with the recycled anode showed better performance than commercial graphite anode-based batteries showing the promise to provide lower cost batteries while enabling green end-of-use recycling for solar cells.
Tools Used
[edit | edit source]- AC/off-grid photovoltaic powered open-source ball mill
- Open Source Scientific Bottle Roller
- Open Source Inert Gas Glove Box
See also
[edit | edit source]- Effect of pyrolysis temperature on the performance of 3D-printed silicon–carbon anodes derived from recycled photovoltaic silicon
- A Review of 3D Printing Batteries
| Authors | M. Mottaghi, A. Kulkarni, Joshua M. Pearce |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
| Organizations | FAST, Western |
| Cite as | M. Mottaghi, A. Kulkarni, Joshua M. Pearce (2025–2026). "Recycling silicon photovoltaic cells into silicon anodes for Li-ion batteries using 3D printing". Appropedia. Retrieved June 4, 2026. |