Session: Government Agency Student Posters

Paper Number: 173389

Upcycling Wind Turbine Blade Waste Into High-Performance Multilayered Composite Fibers 

Plastics’ long degradation time and the continuous accumulation of plastic waste in oceans contribute to a growing environmental crisis. The disposal of wind turbine blade (WTB) waste poses a significant environmental challenge due to its high volume, complex glass‑fiber (GF)-reinforced composite structure, and lack of viable end‑of‑life solutions. These thermoset‑based materials resist degradation making them difficult to repurpose, so they are often landfilled. Current methods primarily yield low-value byproducts, underscoring the urgent need for scalable, high-value upcycling technologies.

This study presents a sustainable method to fabricate high-performance composite fibers using recycled GF from WTBs embedded in a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) matrix. The integration of recycled GF from WTBs into PAN fibers offers a direct and scalable route to repurpose otherwise non-degradable composite waste, diverting it from landfills and extending its lifecycle. The fibers are produced using a dry-jet wet spinning technique, followed by controlled drawing and heat treatment to ensure structural stability and improved mechanical performance. Using a multilayered spinneret, fibers can be formed with up to 256 layers, enabling tailored morphology and enhanced mechanical and thermal properties. The precursor fibers undergo a controlled  heat treatment process including stabilization and carbonization to produce carbonized fibers (CF) with high thermal stability performance under extreme conditions. 

Mechanical testing of precursor fibers shows that increased GF content and multilayer design significantly enhance tensile strength and stiffness.  Using GF loadings of 1-4 wt.%, the 256-layered 4wt% PAN-GF composite fibers demonstrated remarkable mechanical improvements, with stiffness (modulus) increasing by 54.7% from 15.10 GPa to 23.37 GPa and tensile strength rising by 27.2% from 521.71 MPa to 663.66 MPa compared to pure PAN fibers. Structural evolution was characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). For the 256-layered fibers, the incorporation GF increases the activation energy for cyclization by 17.75%, rising from 114.36 kJ/mol in pure PAN fibers to 134.56 kJ/mol in PAN-GF composites. XRD analysis also revealed a significant increase in crystallinity from 46.33% in pure PAN to 68.56% in 4 wt% PAN-GF. These results confirm that incorporating WTB-derived GF improves both the structural integrity and performance of the resulting composite fibers. These composite fibers show strong potential lightweight applications, such as structural components in electric vehicles and aerospace. With growing public awareness and industrial commitment to sustainability, this method holds significant potential for integration into global waste management strategies, fostering long-term ecological and economic benefits.

Presenting Author: Ian Doran University of Georgia

Presenting Author Biography: My name is, Ian Doran I am a fourth‑year undergraduate researcher in the Song Lab at the University of Georgia, where I focus on advanced materials and sustainable manufacturing. My primary project involves upcycling wind turbine blades into high‑performance composite fibers, which are characterized through tensile testing, DSC, TGA, and DMA. This work has shown that incorporating glass fiber significantly enhances the mechanical and thermal properties of the resulting composites. In addition to this research, I have contributed to projects on fiber‑based batteries, PVA/PCL polymer blends, and microplastics, reflecting a broad interest in materials innovation and environmental sustainability.

Authors:

Ian Doran University of Georgia
Varunkumar Thippanna University of Georgia
Kenan Song University of Georgia