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Wind turbine blades, made from hard-to-recycle composite materials, have always been an environmental challenge. Now, researchers have come up with an innovative solution: reusing these materials to make improved plastics.
A new method developed by researchers at Washington State University can change the way the world deals with waste generatesdo by wind turbines. The technique allows recycling old turbine blades without the use of aggressive chemicals.
The result is the creation of reinforced plastics, which are more resistant and have the potential for a variety of uses. The new product is simple, effective and ecological.
The challenge of wind turbine blades
Wind turbine blades are mostly made from a material called glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP).
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It is light, strong and durable. But it is also difficult to recycle. And that has become a problem.
The first modern turbines, installed in the 1990s, are being retired.
Each shovel represents a large amount of waste that is difficult to reuse. Furthermore, around 15% of the material is wasted during the manufacturing stage.
Disposing of this type of waste is a concern. It is bulky, resistant and does not degrade easily. Therefore, finding a useful destination for this material has become an important mission.
A different process
The WSU research group has created a novel approach.
They cut the blade material into small blocks and dipped the pieces into a bath of organic salt and pressurized water. This process took about two hours.
The substance used was a solution of zinc acetate — the same compound found in throat lozenges. In other words: a safe solvent, with low toxicity and easy to reuse.
What came out of this process was a mixture rich in glass fibers and resins still in good condition. These materials were incorporated directly into plastics such as nylon and polypropylene. The result was impressive.
Much stronger plastics
By mixing the recycled material with nylon, the researchers saw significant gains. The new plastic was more than three times stronger and more than eight times stiffer. And that was without having to separate all the GFRP components.
"As long as we can break the material network into smaller pieces and fuse them with the nylon, we already have a new functional compound.”, explained Baoming Zhao, one of the authors of the study.
The same process was applied to other common everyday plastics, such as those used in shampoo bottles or milk jugs. In all cases, there was an improvement in performance.
Viable and sustainable solution
The most important aspect of the new method is its simplicity. The chemical conditions are mild, the solvent is safe and reusable, and the process is easy to scale. This opens the door to a broader solution.
"This recycling method is scalable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly.,” said Jinwen Zhang, group leader and professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. “It offers a sustainable outlet for the large volume of waste generated by turbines."
Furthermore, the technique can be applied not only to old blades, but also to waste generated during turbine manufacturing. This further increases its positive impact.
Next Steps
The WSU team continues to work on improving the process. The goal now is to make the conditions even milder, reducing the need for pressurization. This would make the process cheaper and more accessible.
At the same time, researchers are studying ways to develop new blade materials that are already fully recyclable from the source. The idea is to create a complete and sustainable cycle, from start to finish.
For now, the results of the study have already been published in the journal Resource, Conservation and Recycling, highlighting the technical and environmental viability of the innovation.
As wind energy advances around the world, solutions like this are becoming increasingly important. After all, recycling efficiently can be as essential as producing clean energy.
Study published in Resource, Conservation, and Recycling.
