Elium® composite recyclable blades: final steps before industrialization
After 10 years of development in collaboration with the largest players on the world market, Arkema is en route to success with truly circular wind power thanks to the decisive contribution of Elium® resin based composite materials to the manufacture of 100% recyclable blades. In the context of one of its most advanced partnership programs, the Zebra project in France, the Group is going through the validation stages for its manufacturing and recycling processes. The first 62 meter blades were produced at the end of 2021 and the first commissionings are planned for 2024.
Elium® liquid resin, in combination with glass fibers, has all the necessary properties to form a composite that is perfectly suited to the manufacture of wind turbine blades.
It combines lightness, mechanical strength and durability, at a price comparable to the epoxy thermosetting resins that currently dominate the market. The fact that it can be used at room temperature and its short curing times unlock significant industrial and energy gains compared to current epoxy composite based processes. Above all, it enables easy depolymerization via heating, allowing for the full recovery of blade materials at the end of their life, thereby facilitating truly recyclable turbines. This is unique in the world. “To give substance to this extraordinary potential, the challenge is all about establishing industrial processes for manufacturing and recycling and validating their technical and economic feasibility”, explains Guillaume Clédat, Head of Elium® Development. “We have been working on it for several years, through a variety of co‑development programs involving leading partners - wind turbine manufacturers, wind farm companies, recycling operators and research laboratories.”
