Wind power is a popular form of renewable energy, but disposal becomes an issue when it’s time to replace the huge turbine blades.
To tackle this, scientists have created a new composite resin suitable for making these behemoths that could later be recycled into new turbine blades or a variety of other products, including countertops, car taillights, nappies, and even gummy bears.
“The beauty of our resin system is that at the end of its use cycle, we can dissolve it, and that releases it from whatever matrix it’s in so that it can be used repeatedly in an infinite loop,” said John Dorgan, a professor at Michigan State University (MSU). “That’s the goal of the circular economy.”
Most wind turbine blades are made of fibreglass, and can be half the size of a football pitch. And although some companies have found ways to recycle glass fibre into lower-value materials, most discarded blades end up in landfills.
“Larger wind turbine blades are more efficient...