The glass fibres from wind turbine blades can now be recycled using a new technique developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mandi. Using microwaves to recycle polymer composites would be more environmentally beneficial than using landfills or thermal recycling because no harsh chemicals would be employed in the extraction process.
According to the researchers, the glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) used in wind turbines can be recycled using a microwave-assisted chemical recycling (MACR) process. Utilizing environmentally benign substances like vinegar’s acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide, which is frequently used as a disinfectant and antibiotic, microwaves are employed to aid in the chemical destruction of GFRP. The degradation rates of epoxy are reported to be up to 97.2% by the approach discovered by IIT Mandi researchers, with the recovery of glass fibres. Following testing and comparison with virgin fibres, it was discovered that recovered glass fibres had outperformed virgin fibres in terms of mechanical characteristics and strength, retaining about 90% of their strength.
The Resources, Conservation and Recycling Publication, an international, peer-reviewed journal on the recycling and reuse of material resources, including circular economy, publishes the results of this institute’s research. This innovative recycling technique was discovered in a study co-authored by their students Manjeet Rani and Priyanka Choudhary and led by Sunny Zafar, assistant professor, School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, and Venkata Krishnan, associate professor, School of Chemical Sciences, both at IIT Mandi.
Current recycling methods
At the moment, wind turbines made of glass fibres and epoxy polymers that have reached the end of their useful lives are either destroyed, burned, or dumped in landfills. These existing recycling practices are not environmentally benign in the long term because they just increase pollution overall and the environmental expense. If the globe stays on its current course, wind turbines will produce more than 200,000 tonnes of composite trash by 2024. Additionally, the cost of the composites used in wind turbine blades will rise as a result of tighter regulations on garbage disposal and continually fluctuating raw material prices.
“The recycling method that we have developed can lead to a profound shift in recycling technologies, which can help the country move towards a circular economy for wind turbine blades,” said Venkata Krishnan, associate professor, School of Chemical Sciences, IIT Mandi, when discussing the advantages of the research.
