Iondrive Limited in Australia has reported encouraging early results from its solar recycling initiative, marking a key milestone in the development of its proprietary IONSolv metal extraction platform.
Initial laboratory testing has demonstrated silver extraction efficiency exceeding 85 percent under controlled conditions. The results establish a strong performance baseline and support the progression of the program into testing on real world photovoltaic materials, in collaboration with recycling partner Livium Ltd.
The early phase of work focused on laboratory screening and optimisation of the IONSolv formulation. Testing was conducted through discrete batch experiments using small laboratory samples of metallic silver to assess extraction performance. According to the company, the results provide confidence to advance the technology beyond controlled laboratory conditions and into application on mechanically prepared end of life solar panel feedstock.
As part of the next phase, testing has commenced on dismantled and mechanically processed photovoltaic materials supplied by Livium. The work will examine how feedstock preparation and mechanical separation interact with chemical recovery processes, with a particular focus on silver and polysilicon recovery pathways.
The program comes as Australia faces a rapidly growing volume of end of life solar panel waste. Current recycling approaches often result in downcycling or disposal of valuable materials, despite the presence of recoverable silver and silicon. This represents both an environmental challenge and a commercial opportunity for improved resource recovery through advanced processing technologies.
Iondrive plans to continue laboratory optimisation while undertaking preliminary techno economic assessments to evaluate recovery performance, scalability and commercial potential. The longer term objective is to support the development of viable recycling solutions for solar panels as part of the company’s broader critical minerals processing strategy.
The initiative is supported by a strategic collaboration with Livium, an Australian company specialising in circular economy solutions for batteries and recycling. Livium is providing feedstock preparation and panel dismantling capabilities, enabling Iondrive to test its technology on representative photovoltaic waste and assess its applicability beyond laboratory conditions.
Together, the partners aim to demonstrate integrated recycling pathways that combine mechanical preparation with targeted chemical recovery, addressing the growing challenge of solar panel waste while unlocking value from critical materials.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
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