doi: 10.18178/ijesd.2026.17.1.1564
Development of High-Purity Glass Recovery Technology from End-of-Life Solar Panels for Applying to Materials for Glass Wool Productions
Akihiro Murayama1,2,*
,
Shuji Owada3 ,
Toru Matsumoto4
- 1Graduate School of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Environmental Engineering, University of Kitakyushu, Kitakyushu, Japan
- 2Shinryo Corporation, Kitakyushu, Japan
- 3Department of Earth Sciences, Resources and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
- 4Institute for Environmental Technology, University of Kitakyushu, Kitakyushu, Japan
- Manuscript receivedMay 30, 2025
- revisedJuly 11, 2025
- acceptedJuly 23, 2025
- publishedFebruary 5, 2026
Abstract
This study aims to develop a material recyclingprocess for end-of-life solar panels, focusing on the recovery ofhigh-purity glass and its application in glass wool production.Solar panels contain more than 60% glass by weight, and theirdisposal is expected to increase significantly in the comingdecades. Because of this, the researchers developed a thermaldecomposition and multi-stage sorting process to separate glass,copper wires, and silicon cells. The process successfullyrecovered glass cullet with a purity of 99.999%, whichaccounted for 86% of the panel weight after treatment. Copperand silver were also recovered at concentrations of 55% and8539 mg/kg, respectively, which shows potential for reuse asvaluable materials. The recovered glass cullet was used at 100%to produce glass wool prototypes. Performance evaluationshowed that the thermal conductivity of the prototype was0.040 W/m·K, which is comparable to conventional productsmade from window glass (0.041 W/m·K). Environmental safetywas confirmed through leaching tests, with all measured valueswell below regulatory limits. These results show the feasibility ofconverting waste solar panel glass into high-value insulationmaterials. The proposed system offers a practical solution forresource circulation and landfill reduction, which contributes tosustainable waste management and environmental protection.
Keywords
- used solar panels
- recycling
- glass wool
- glass recovery
How to Cite
Akihiro Murayama, Shuji Owada, and Toru Matsumoto, "Development of High-Purity Glass Recovery Technology from End-of-Life Solar Panels for Applying to Materials for Glass Wool Productions," International Journal of Environmental Science and Development, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 56-63, 2026. https://doi.org/10.18178/ijesd.2026.17.1.1564
Copyright & License
Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).