Washington State University Research Team Receives Award for Wind Turbine Material Recycling

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): A Washington State University research team has received a U.S. Department of Energy award for work to recycle materials from wind turbines. The team is one of 20 from throughout the U.S. to receive the $75,000 first-phase prize, which also makes them eligible for the second phase of the $5.1 million competition. The work is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

While as much as 85% of wind turbine materials can be re-used, researchers are still working to effectively recycle the carbon fiber and fiberglass materials that make up the wind turbine blades, which have an average lifespan of about 20 years. “That first generation of wind turbine blades is being retired now,” said Jinwen Zhang, a professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering who is leading the project.

The carbon fiber-reinforced materials are difficult to recycle because, unlike plastic milk bottles that can be simply melted down and re-used, the composites used in wind turbine blades contain thermoset matrix resins. When they are made, they are irreversibly cured and can’t easily be undone to their original materials. In addition to wind turbines, carbon-fiber reinforced plastics are used in many other industries, such as aviation and automotives, because they are lightweight and strong. “It’s a growing field. They’re becoming commodities — not just specialized materials,” said graduate student Brian Bliss, “and they’re very challenging to recycle without some really clever solutions.”

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantage.com