Wind turbine blades could be recycled into gummy bears, scientists say
The next generation of wind turbine blades could be recycled into gummy bears at the end of their service, scientists have said.
Researchers at Michigan State University made a composite resin for the blades by combining glass fibers with a plant-derived polymer and a synthetic polymer. Once the blades have reached the end of their lifespan, the materials can be broken down and recycled to make new products, including turbine blades - and chewy candies.
Wind energy is one of the dominant forms of renewable energy. However, turbine blades, usually made of fiberglass, can be half the size of a football field and pose disposal problems, with many being thrown into landfills when they reach the end. their cycle of use.
To fight against waste, researchers have designed a new form of resin. Digestion of the resin in an alkaline solution produces potassium lactate, which can be purified and made into candies and sports drinks.
"We collected food grade potassium lactate and used it to make gummy bear candy , which I ate," said John Dorgan, one of the paper's authors.
Alkaline digestion also released poly(methyl methacrylate ), or PMMA, an acrylic material commonly used in car windows and taillights.
< p class="dcr-xry7m2">Eating gummy bears derived from a wind turbine, Dorgan says "an atom of carbon derived from a plant, such as corn or grass, is no different than a carbon atom from a fossil fuel. part of the global carbon cycle, and we have shown that we can move from biomass on the ground to sustainable plastic materials and back to food.He added, "The beauty of our resin system is that at the end of its use cycle, we can dissolve it, and that releases it from any matrix it is in so that it can be used over and over again in an infinite loop. This is the goal of the circular economy."
The next generation of wind turbine blades could be recycled into gummy bears at the end of their service, scientists have said.
Researchers at Michigan State University made a composite resin for the blades by combining glass fibers with a plant-derived polymer and a synthetic polymer. Once the blades have reached the end of their lifespan, the materials can be broken down and recycled to make new products, including turbine blades - and chewy candies.
Wind energy is one of the dominant forms of renewable energy. However, turbine blades, usually made of fiberglass, can be half the size of a football field and pose disposal problems, with many being thrown into landfills when they reach the end. their cycle of use.
To fight against waste, researchers have designed a new form of resin. Digestion of the resin in an alkaline solution produces potassium lactate, which can be purified and made into candies and sports drinks.
"We collected food grade potassium lactate and used it to make gummy bear candy , which I ate," said John Dorgan, one of the paper's authors.
Alkaline digestion also released poly(methyl methacrylate ), or PMMA, an acrylic material commonly used in car windows and taillights.
< p class="dcr-xry7m2">Eating gummy bears derived from a wind turbine, Dorgan says "an atom of carbon derived from a plant, such as corn or grass, is no different than a carbon atom from a fossil fuel. part of the global carbon cycle, and we have shown that we can move from biomass on the ground to sustainable plastic materials and back to food.He added, "The beauty of our resin system is that at the end of its use cycle, we can dissolve it, and that releases it from any matrix it is in so that it can be used over and over again in an infinite loop. This is the goal of the circular economy."
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