Showcasing APOLLO’s Research at Materiais 2025

The APOLLO project was in the spotlight at Materiais 2025, held in Lisbon from 1 to 3 July 2025, where our partners from Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN) presented their latest research through a dedicated poster session. The event brought together the national and international materials science community, offering a prime opportunity to showcase APOLLO’s contribution to circularity in the photovoltaic (PV) sector.

The poster, presented by Sandra Cruz and Jorge Corker, was titled “A Proactive Approach to the Recovery and Recycling of Photovoltaic Modules”. It focused on IPN’s development of an integrated method to evaluate and classify PV glass purity, specifically targeting two major contaminants: antimony (Sb) and iron oxide (Fe₂O₃).

The conclusions of the study highlight that all samples were successfully assessed by IPN for purity and conformity, enabling their classification for potential reuse in various applications. The consistency of results across different measurement techniques confirmed the reliability of the methodology, and the use of portable XRF proved to be an effective and practical solution for assessing glass composition directly within PV recycling lines.

Hosted by the Portuguese Materials Society (SPM) and the Portuguese Society of Microscopy (SPMicros), Materiais 2025 is a national reference event in materials science and engineering. This year’s edition featured symposia and poster sessions addressing sustainability, materials circularity, advanced characterisation techniques, and functional materials, all of which are highly relevant to APOLLO’s work. The event fosters collaboration between academia, research, and industry, making it a valuable platform to disseminate EU-funded innovation in the energy transition.