Challenges and Practices in the Analysis of Silicon Kerf from the PV Industry by Combinatorial Analytical Methods

Exploitation of waste streams has gained prominence not only in sustainable use of resources but also as a potential source of raw materials. Silicon kerf is one such waste stream and its recycling has been quite topical in recent years. In the present study, the characterization of different industrial kerf samples was carried out using several techniques. The average metallic impurity concentration was approximately 400 ppmw with average particle size (D50) of 3.5 µm and surface area of approximately 33 m²/g. The inhomogeneity of kerf was shown to pose challenges like potential isotope interferences during analysis as well as being susceptible to high uncertainties and relative standard deviation (RSD). Remedies and best practices were recommended for successful characterization of such inhomogeneous materials.