Skip to main content
An official website of the European UnionAn official EU website
European Commission logo
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS
CORDIS Web 30th anniversary CORDIS Web 30th anniversary

Innovative eco-efficient processing and refining routes for secondary raw materials from silicon ingot and wafer manufacturing for accelerated utilisation in high-end markets

Project description

Innovative processing of silicon ingot and wafer manufacturing

Silicon ingot and wafer manufacturing can potentially generate high-value raw materials enabling a circular economy. The EU-funded ICARUS project will demonstrate at an industrial level eco-efficient modular processing solutions to recover 95 % of high-value raw materials from silicon ingot and wafer manufacturing. The method will process, refine and transform industrial silicon, graphite and silica waste streams. Material closed-loop systems will allow a circular economy for silicon ingot and wafer manufacturers, potentially unlocking substantial volumes of raw materials for further industrial high-end applications. The project will demonstrate three innovative industrial pilots producing silicon, silica and graphite raw materials, and one pilot converting silicon waste into full-value industrial commodities.

Objective

ICARUS aims to demonstrate modular processing solutions at industrial scale to retrieve 95% of high-value raw materials from silicon ingot and wafer manufacturing, through eco-efficient processing, refining, and transformation of industrial silicon, graphite and silica waste streams. Industrial symbiosis will provide refined raw materials for further industrial high-end applications. Material closed-loop systems will enable a circular economy for silicon ingot and wafer manufacturers, potentially unlocking substantial volumes of raw materials: 9.600.000 t of silicon, 1.165.300 t of silica and 64.000 t of graphite by 2050.
ICARUS will demonstrate: 3 innovative industrial pilots producing silicon, silica and graphite raw materials; 1 pilot converting silicon waste into full value industrial commodities:
- Pretreated and purified silicon, silica and graphite raw materials (RESITEC),
- Pyrometallurgical process using recylced silicon, silica and graphite for high purity silicon (NOSI),
- Granular silicion feedstock for photovoltaic applications (ROSI),
- Full value industrial commodities: green hydrogen, silica and silicates (APOLLON),
for different high-end applications with strict raw material quality standards, to assess the technical and economic viability of these applications:
- Si-photovoltaics (CEA)
- Al-Si alloys (GRANGES)
- Thermoelectric modules and generators (MMEX)
- Lithium ion battery cells (CIDETEC, SGLBS)
- Silicon carbide powders (FIVEN)
- Fine-grained graphite (SGL)
The R&D team consists of internationally recognised partners, SINTEF, CEA, INP, UCY and CIDETEC, that will support with
services for more efficient implementation of innovations developed in the project. Technological feasibility will be assessed
by the industry partners, while BIFA will carry out environmental assessment, CHEMCON will conduct economic and market
viability assessment for the ICARUS value chain. AYMING will be in charge of dissemination and communication activities.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Call for proposal

H2020-LOW-CARBON-CIRCULAR-INDUSTRIES-2020

See other projects for this call

Sub call

H2020-LCCI-2020-EASME-twostage

Coordinator

SINTEF AS
Net EU contribution
€ 1 864 125,00
Total cost
€ 1 864 125,00

Participants (21)