An experimental investigation and process optimization of the oxidative liquefaction process as the recycling method of the end-of-life wind turbine blades

Abstract

The article contextualizes and expands upon research related to oxidative liquefaction of wind turbine blades for resin degradation and glass fiber recovery, presented at the 17th SDEWES conference series on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environmental Systems 2022. The effect of five different parameters, including reaction temperature, residence time, pressure, waste-to-liquid ratio, and oxidant concentration, on resin degradation, has been studied in detail. Experiments were performed in the temperature range of 250 °C–350 °C with a residence time of 30–90 min, at a pressure of 20–40 bar, a waste-to-liquid ratio of 5–25%, and oxidant concentrations of 15–45% by weight. The maximum resin degradation yield achieved was in the range of 95–100% against the different combinations of tested parameters, and its minimum value was 43%, but detailed analysis revealed that the waste-to-liquid ratio is the key parameter affecting resin degradation yield. In addition, energy consumption is one of the important parameters determining the economic feasibility of the process, so a detailed optimization of the experimental plan based on maximum resin degradation and energy consumption has also been performed to identify the most suitable conditions that support the implication of the process at a larger scale.