Mechanical and Dielectric Properties of Epoxy Resin Composites Filled With Whole‐Panel Waste From First and Second Generation End‐of‐Life Photovoltaic Panels

The valorization of end‐of‐life (EoL) photovoltaic (PV panels) waste through its incorporation as a particulate filler in epoxy resin composites was investigated, with focus on the resulting dielectric properties. The main scope of this work is to turn waste from whole EoL PV panels into a useful product through a simple process. Following a size reduction with milling, samples from three different types of EoL PVs (CIS, CIGS, c–Si) were used as filler particles in a Resoltech 1050 epoxy resin system with concentrations 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10% w/w. Mechanical and dielectric properties of the composite materials were evaluated through bending, shearing tests, Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) and Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS). The responses from five different samples (CIS, CIGS, c–Si, silicon solar cells and Glass) were compared. It was shown that resin reinforced with 2.5% PV panels waste of any type had similar or better response in mechanical properties compared to the neat epoxy resin. The BDS characterization highlighted interfacial polarization and α, β‐relaxation phenomena of the composites in a temperature range of 30°C–120°C and frequencies of the applied external field from 10 −1 to 10 7 Hz. The calculated energy density U indicates that addition of 2.5% w/w EoL PV panels particles increased the ability to store energy of the matrix by up to 25% at 30°C, while at higher temperatures it increased the ability of the matrix up to 45 times. PV panels waste particles can achieve a new and effective role as reinforcing filler for polymer composites at a low cost.