MOSCOW, 13th October, 2026 (WAM) -- Scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University and Sevastopol State University have developed a two-stage method for recycling end-of-life solar panels to produce silicon carbide, a valuable material used in power electronics, ceramics and other industrial applications, TV BRICS reported.
Photovoltaic modules typically operate for 20–30 years before reaching the end of their service life. The new method enables the recovery of silicon-containing materials and their conversion into silicon carbide, which is valued for its hardness, heat resistance, corrosion resistance and high thermal conductivity.
To test the technology, the researchers processed a used polycrystalline solar panel. First, they applied pyrolysis at 500°C to separate silicon from the polymer layer. The resulting silicon-containing material was then mixed with technical carbon and treated using a non-vacuum electric arc at 1,800°C. This produced silicon carbide in just one minute.
According to Zhanar Bolatova, one of the study's authors and an assistant at Tomsk Polytechnic University's Materials Science Division, pyrolysis also helped remove polymers, produce a solid carbon residue and collect gaseous products.
The researchers found that adding carbon improved the composition of the resulting material by increasing the proportion of silicon carbide and reducing unwanted impurities.
Silicon carbide can be used to manufacture abrasives, refractory products, heating elements and components for power electronics, offering a way to turn discarded solar panels into a resource for advanced materials production.