The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), in collaboration with several research centers, has developed a new type of recyclable resin for wind turbine blades. This breakthrough could revolutionize the industry and eradicate the common practice of disposing of these huge structures in landfills at the end of their useful life.
Called PECAN (PolyEster Covalently Adaptable Network), it is made from bio-based materials and performs comparably, if not better, than traditional resins used in the wind industry. wind industry. Thanks to its innovative design, blades made from PECAN can be recycled through gentle chemical processes, allowing its components to be recovered and reused multiple times, something that is not possible with current resins.
Wind turbine blades would not end up in landfills
Likewise, the NREL team built a 9-meter shovel prototype to demonstrate the viability of this bio-based resin and the results were surprising: the prototype decomposed completely in only 6 hours through a chemical process, allowing the recovery of the materials.
Johney Green, associate director of NREL’s laboratory, stressed that this development is key to moving towards a circular economy in the renewable energy sector. renewable energy sector.. Using a recyclable resin improves the sustainability of wind energy while challenging the idea that recyclable materials are less efficient or durable. The research work was published in the journal Science.
With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, NREL plans to continue research to manufacture larger blades and explore new bio-based formulations. This breakthrough could usher in a new era in wind turbine manufacturing, with a focus on waste reduction and long-term sustainability.
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Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Photos: shutterstock | NREL
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