The aim of this study is to explore the feasibility of recovering silicon-based powder from photovoltaic (PV) panels without relying on chemical treatments, repurposing it as an anodic material capable of reversibly intercalating lithium cations. This material is intended for the fabrication of large-capacity anodes designed for high-energy–density batteries. The PV panel was first segmented, and the portions were stripped of their glass. For half of the processed segments, the polymer backsheet was additionally removed through a thermo-mechanical delamination process. Pyrolysis of the PV panel segments, both with and without the backsheet, produced two distinct silicon-based powder samples. The powders were then processed using a mechanical method with low environmental impact. The resulting powders were evaluated for their suitability as anode materials for Li-ion batteries. The powder recovered after pre-emptive backsheet delamination (“PV Sanyo_Without backsheet_nano”: 81.9% Si, 6.2% C, 8.9% O, 0.3% Al, 2.2% Ag, 0.4% Na, 0.1% Mg) exhibited electrochemical performance comparable to that of “Commercial_nano” powder (87.9% Si, 6.1% C, 5.6% O, 0.4% Al), despite the presence of Ag, Na, and Mg impurities and a slightly higher oxygen content (+ 3.3%). This result indicates that the additional impurities and minor oxygen increase do not significantly affect the electrochemical behavior of the recovered silicon powder. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025.

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