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  4. Stability assessment of layer-by-layer nanofiltration membranes for element recovery from highly acidic media
 
research article

Stability assessment of layer-by-layer nanofiltration membranes for element recovery from highly acidic media

Amrein, Meret  
•
Rohrer, Karina
•
Hengevoss, Dirk
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January 15, 2026
Resources, Conservation and Recycling

The recovery of critical raw materials such as indium (In) and silver (Ag) from end-of-life thin-film photovoltaics is essential for supporting the growing demand for renewable energy technologies. This study evaluates the acid stability of layer-by-layer nanofiltration (LbL-NF) membranes for metal recovery from acidic leachates to identify a sustainable alternative to conventional methods. Among various configurations, sPES(PAH/PSS)₄ membranes exhibited outstanding resistance and long-term stability (> 300 h) in 5 % HNO₃, which potentially enables the recovery of 9100 g In and 6600 g Ag per m² of membrane. A life cycle assessment indicated a 34 %–46 % reduction in the global warming potential (GWP) of recycled Ag and a 40 %–50 % reduction for recycled In compared with the supply mix under modelled conditions. For Ag, the GWP was 137 g and 123 g CO₂-eq/g at 70 % and 80 % LbL-NF permeate recovery, respectively. For In, the GWP was 50 g and 55 g CO₂-eq/g at 70 % and 80 % recovery, respectively. These results highlight the climate benefits of LbL-NF membranes in circular resource recovery from end-of-life photovoltaics, which helps to identify key hotspots for optimisation and scale-up.

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Type
research article
DOI
10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108630
Scopus ID

2-s2.0-105018585436

Author(s)
Amrein, Meret  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Rohrer, Karina

Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz FHNW

Hengevoss, Dirk

Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz FHNW

Müller, Tobias

Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz FHNW

Vallat, Bastien

Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz FHNW

Rocco, Dalila

Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz FHNW

Thomann, Michael

Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz FHNW

Nüesch, Frank  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Hedwig, Sebastian

Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz FHNW

Lenz, Markus

Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz FHNW

Date Issued

2026-01-15

Published in
Resources, Conservation and Recycling
Volume

225

Article Number

108630

Subjects

Circular economy

•

Critical raw materials

•

Element recovery

•

Hydrometallurgy

•

Life cycle assessment

•

Recycling

•

Thin-film photovoltaics

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
SMX-ENS  
FunderFunding(s)Grant NumberGrant URL

European Union

Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation

European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation program

101075330

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Available on Infoscience
October 21, 2025
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/255139
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