Lithium Universe (ASX:LU7) has found a potential commercial partner in Taiwan, that being a firm called RePV Tech, in a bid to use the latter’s in-house panel recycling technology alongside LU7’s MJHT and ‘JESE’ panel recycling process, all in the bid to recover silver.
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For those out of the loop, silver’s actually the most conductive metal on earth and for that reason silver paste – which is what it sounds like – is used in solar panels to, in layman’s terms, better assist the flow of electrons down the cable and to the power station (or home), which means that if you’ve got enough solar panels, and a good way to remove the silver, you could be sitting on some pretty valuable feedstock.
To that end, LU7 has inked an MOU with RePV to explore the obstacles, and synergies, that combining the two company’s differing technologies may offer.
“[RePV Tech] has developed its own “easy dismantling” process that separates glass from silicon wafers, offering a different approach to Lithium Universe’s Microwave Joule Heating Technology (MJHT) used for PV delamination,” LU7 wrote on Friday.
Towards proof of concept, RePV will send recycled silicon wafers to Macquarie University where LU7 is already conducting some testwork using its processes; worth noting is that in this context the silicon wafers are from solar panels and not microchips.
“This material will be tested using LU7’s MJHT and JESE systems at Macquarie University to evaluate recovery efficiency and process integration. The two companies will jointly analyse data, optimise extraction performance, and assess the feasibility of scaling up to pilot or commercial facilities,” LU7 further elaborated.
“By integrating RePV’s proven PV module recycling expertise with our innovative silver extraction systems, we can accelerate commercial development and advance circular economy outcomes. It’s an exciting step toward sustainable recovery of valuable materials from solar waste worldwide,” LU7 EC Iggy Tan said.
LU7 last traded at 1.2cps.
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Disclaimer: HotCopper had a commercial relationship with LU7 at the time this article was crafted and published.