A new way to recycle turbine blades?

5 May 2023 by Kylie Hargreaves

Industrial

Wind turbine blades are typically made of several layers of glass or carbon fibre infused with a liquid plastic resin or epoxy. This creates a composite material that is strong and durable - as well as challenging to recycle. Researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark have successfully conducted a proof-of-concept chemical recycling experiment during which they were able to "break down the epoxy material to recover both the plastic’s building blocks and the glass fibres inside without damaging either."

https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/05/02/1072520/how-chemists-could-give-new-life-to-old-wind-turbine-blades/

What do you think?

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Comments

Industrial

The Uber of Waste goes National

A 2023 start-up aiming to make recycling convenient and accessible to all is about to go national. The aim is to provide people with a home pick-up option for some of the "trickier" items the normal recycling bins can't handle - including soft plastics. https://wastemanagementreview.com.au/recyclesmart-goes-national/

27 February 2024 by Kylie Hargrea... 0 Comments

Industrial

Magnetic Attraction: Microplastics

A Kyushu University study (2021) estimated there were 24.4 trillion pieces of microplastics in the world's upper oceans or roughly 30 billion 500-ml plastic water bottles. Microplastics are tiny, toxic and very hard to remove from the environment. But researchers in the US have discovered that some Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES) can attract and bind microplastics, making it easier to remove them from the environment. And the N in NADES is key - natural - in this instance, think extracts from plants. https://www.research.uky.edu/news/researchers-develop-eco-friendly-magnet-battle-microplastics

13 February 2024 by Kylie Hargrea... 0 Comments

Industrial

6 February 2024 by Sage 0 Comments

Sharing Ideas that Do Good