Sustainable valorisation of end-of-life solar panel EVA into super-hydrophobic coating for construction applications

• Recycled EVA from end-of-life solar panels was transformed into a superhydrophobic coating for bricks. • The EVA-coated bricks exhibited reduced water absorption and enhanced contact angle. • The work supports circular economy by converting solar panel waste into value-added construction materials. End-of-life solar photovoltaic (PV) panels generate a significant volume of waste, with Ethylene–Vinyl Acetate (EVA) encapsulants posing a major environmental challenge due to their non-biodegradable and cross-linked nature. In this study, EVA was recovered from decommissioned solar panels and repurposed as a hydrophobic coating for brick surfaces. The EVA was extracted using a toluene-based solvent dissolution process, followed by paste formation and application onto clay bricks. The surface and structural characteristics of uncoated and EVA-coated bricks were systematically evaluated using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), water absorption testing, and contact angle measurements. The EVA-coated bricks exhibited significantly reduced water absorption and increased contact angles, confirming enhanced hydrophobic performance. This work demonstrates a sustainable and effective strategy for converting solar panel EVA waste into a value-added protective coating for masonry applications, contributing to circular economy practices in the renewable energy and construction sectors.