Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide This article explores the environmental sustainability of recycling decommissioned wind turbine blades to produce polyacrylonitrile fiber. By comparing greenhouse gas emissions across various scales of production in different regions, including the US and Europe, the study highlights how cleaner energy grids, such as those in France, can substantially reduce the carbon footprint. The carbonization and graphitization stages, identified as highly energy-intensive, underscore the need for energy-efficient techniques and alternative energy sources. The study reveals significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions with scalable production, demonstrating US production emissions reduced to 3.89 kg CO 2 equiv/kg fiber and European production to 3.28 kg CO 2 equiv/kg fiber from a lab scale of at least one order of magnitude higher. The findings emphasize the importance of sustainable raw materials, green chemistry, and renewable energy in enhancing the sustainability of carbon fiber production and promoting a circular economy in wind energy.
Institution: University of Georgia
Language: English
Subfield: Environmental Engineering
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,500
Funders: National Science Foundation, American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund, Qatar National Research Fund, Office of Naval Research, Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation, Division of Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
OpenAlex ID: W4409780890