Adelaide-based Iondrive, a clean energy recycling and metals extraction company, has reported early laboratory results from its proprietary IONSolv metal extraction platform, which achieved more than 85% silver extraction efficiency in initial bench-scale testing.
The company said in a statement that the milestone establishes an early-stage performance baseline for IONSolv under controlled conditions and supports further optimization before applying the process to end-of-life PV materials.
IONSolv uses a family of deep eutectic solvents — biodegradable, non-toxic liquids engineered to selectively dissolve and extract targeted metals.
So far, testing has been conducted in discrete batch experiments using small laboratory portions of metallic silver. The results give Iondrive confidence to advance the program in collaboration with Victoria-based circular economy solutions firm Livium, which is supplying testing feedstock through solar panel dismantling support.
The next phase will assess recovery pathways for both silver and polysilicon, aligning with Iondrive’s broader strategy for critical minerals processing.
As early Australian solar panels approach the end of their 25–30-year life, research shows that valuable materials such as silver and silicon require improved recovery to prevent panels from going to landfill.
“Iondrive’s solar program seeks to address this gap by targeting the recovery of high-value materials early in the recycling process, with silver and high-grade silicon representing two of the most economically attractive commodity streams within photovoltaic waste,” said the statement.
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