Lithium Universe (ASX:LU7) sharpens silver recovery in solar panel recycling breakthrough

Lithium Universe (ASX:LU7) has unveiled a technical development that could transform the economics of recycling end-of-life solar panels, with its research partners at Macquarie University demonstrating that electrode geometry is a decisive factor in recovering silver, one of the most valuable inputs in photovoltaic cells.

Highlights

• Breakthrough in silver recovery through precision-engineered electrode tip designs

• Sharp conical electrodes deliver uniform silver removal, minimising residues and protecting wafer integrity

• Recovery rates improved to 75 per cent within three minutes under standard conditions

• Silver demand and prices remain at record highs, underscoring commercial implications

• Technology forms part of Lithium Universe’s Electro-Jet recycling platform

Silver is critical to the global solar industry, forming the conductive pathways that carry energy across photovoltaic wafers, but conventional recycling has long struggled to recover the metal efficiently, leaving both revenue on the table and unnecessary waste.

Lithium Universe’s latest laboratory trials, conducted at Macquarie University under the guidance of Dr Binesh Puthen Veettil and Dr David Payne, highlight how modest engineering refinements can deliver outsized gains in performance.

The team tested a series of electrode tip shapes, comparing cylindrical, blunt-cone, and sharp-cone geometries.

The results showed that sharper tips concentrated the electric field more effectively, stripping silver almost uniformly across the pad surface.

Residues at the edges, traditionally a persistent issue, were dramatically reduced, while the sharp tips also preserved adhesion between the silver and aluminium layers, preventing peeling or delamination that would otherwise undermine wafer reuse.

Under standard operating conditions, sharp conical tips achieved up to 75 per cent silver removal within three minutes, while energy efficiency remained stable.

The study confirmed that directing the electric field with precision not only improved yields but also maintained processing stability, making the approach suitable for industrial scaling.

The implications are considerable, with higher recovery rates translating directly into greater revenues per panel, while cleaner separation reduces downstream refining costs.

Preserving wafer integrity opens opportunities for secondary value streams, particularly in silicon reuse.

Given that silver represents almost half of the material cost of a solar cell, incremental improvements in recovery quickly add up to significant economic benefits.

Silver market dynamics add urgency to these advances, with prices surging to USD 47.31 per ounce, a 48.6 per cent year-on-year rise and the highest level in more than a decade.

Demand is being driven not only by solar panels but also by electronics, electric vehicles, and AI-driven data centres, with industrial consumption in 2024 surpassing 680 million ounces.

Supply, by contrast, has remained relatively flat, creating structural deficits that reinforce the value of recycling initiatives.

Lithium Universe has been steadily developing its Electro-Jet platform, designed to recover silver and other valuable metals from discarded panels with speed and precision.

The process applies a controlled voltage between the wafer and a jet stream, dissolving silver into a nitric electrolyte before depositing it onto a substrate for recovery.

The latest electrode refinements sharpen the commercial viability of the approach, demonstrating efficiency gains without added energy cost.

As Executive Chairman Iggy Tan noted,

“By sharpening electrode tips, our team has demonstrated a more efficient, higher-quality, and lower-cost method of recovering silver from end-of-life solar panels. This advancement further strengthens our Electro-Jet recycling technology, positioning us to make large-scale solar panel recycling both commercially viable and environmentally critical.”

Looking forward, the breakthrough reinforces Lithium Universe’s broader strategy of integrating resource recovery with the clean energy economy.

With global solar waste projected to reach 60 to 78 million tonnes by 2050, the company’s ability to enhance silver recovery efficiency places it at the nexus of sustainability and profitability.

For investors tracking the intersection of renewable deployment, critical metal scarcity, and circular economy solutions, the development marks an important milestone in aligning technology with market opportunity.

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