Essay by Eric Worrall
h/t Dr. Willie Soon; According to a professor at Michigan State University John DorganMaking wind turbine blades from edible plastic will allow them to be recycled as food.
Scientists say wind turbine blades can be recycled into tough bears
Researchers design plastic composite for blades that can be broken down to create new products including sweets
Chelsie Henshaw
Tuesday, August 23, 2022 19.11 AESTThe next generation of wind turbine blades could be recycled into tough bears at the end of their life, scientists say.
Researchers at Michigan State University have created a synthetic resin for propeller blades by combining fiberglass with a plant-based polymer and a synthetic one. When the propellers reach the end of their life, the material can be broken down and recycled to create new products including turbine blades – and chewy candies.
Wind energy is one of the dominant forms of renewable energy. However, turbine blades, often made of fiberglass, can be as long as half a football field and cause disposal problems, with many ending up in landfills when they are finished. period of use.
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“We recovered food-grade potassium lactate and used it to make the marshmallows I ate,” said John Dorgan, one of the paper’s authors.
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There is a small problem with this plan, if you leave edible plastic in an outdoor environment, or sometimes even an indoor environment, it tends to get eaten. One of the most extreme cases I personally witnessed, when I tried to start my hobby a few years ago, but nothing happened. I opened the transmission and discovered that something had eaten away the rubber from my drive belt – all that was left was the reinforcing wire.
I still guess recycled wind turbine gum bears will add welcome variety to our future diet of edible insects and green party politicians.
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