They create gummy bears out of wind turbine blades.

wind power it has become a very interesting alternative to fossil fuels. However, there is a big problem that if they are not recycled properly, wind turbine blades They can heavily pollute the environment. In fact, last year shovels graveyard in usain which these large structures are buried to save the economic cost and effort that would be associated with their recycling. For this reason, it is necessary to look for new materials that allow them to be easily broken down and processed into new blades or other products. And that’s exactly what a team of scientists from Michigan State University With resin who can move from wind turbines to factories gummy bears.

So far, this is something experimental that has not yet been tested on a large scale. However, as explained in the presentation made at American Chemical Society Annual Meeting, until now it was possible to dissolve the material of wind turbine blades and make new products from it. Not only gummy bears, but also kitchen countertops and even diapers

They did this by mixing fiberglass, which is commonly used to make blades, with synthetic polymer and others derived from plants. The material was later modified, taking and adding what was needed until the most versatile resin was obtained.

Wind turbine blade problem

Since use wind powerIt has been observed that wind turbines are much more efficient than blade size. In fact, some wind farms have decided to replace those that were already there before they were completed. useful lifeby simply placing the larger ones. who has environmental costs very dangerous.

In addition, the larger they are, the more difficult it is to transport and process them. Therefore, ideally one can dissolve or dissolve to other simpler materials. And that’s what these scientists did.

We might think that the use of material obtained from the processing of wind turbine blades to manufacture something eaten This is not a good idea. However, the authors of the study insist that problems with potassium lactate. Simply put, the gummy bear ingredient is a new configuration of that first substance. As they say, carbon remains carbon, whether it comes from plants or is found in fossil fuel. In this case, the elements that were part of the wind turbines begin to adjust, resulting in a non-toxic result.

So far, so good. The problem is that currently not enough polymers in response to high demand for wind turbine blades. Therefore, until more is obtained, this will remain a one-off experiment. Yes, this is a very useful experiment. And the fact is that in the absence of Don Quixote, who could resist the giants, it is urgent to find ways to give them a new life that does not threaten the environment that they, after all, intend to save.