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Epoxy Resins in Motion: Use in Composite Turbine Blades Picks Up Speed

As the megawatts of power it produces rise, the renewable wind energy sector grows by some 20 percent to 30 percent per year. Growing significantly as well is the use of epoxy resins in fiber composite wind turbine blades. That's because the unique structure of epoxy resins meets demanding standards for light weight and high performance more easily and reliably.

Epoxy Resins: A better choice for wind energy composites
"Epoxy resins offer improved stability, stiffness and fatigue resistance and lower shrinkage compared to polyester resins," says Carsten Larsen, product marketing manager for Dow Epoxy in Europe, India, Middle East and Africa.

"As wind turbine blades grow beyond 40 meters (approximately 120 feet) and their load factors rise, these qualities become more important in maintaining the blades' structural integrity in both static and dynamic environments. Of course, epoxy resins are used not only in the production of composite wind turbine blades, but also as a protective coating for the wind towers themselves."

Epoxy resins also offer a one-time, but highly significant, capital investment saving to builders of manufacturing facilities. That's because they eliminate the need for elaborate and very expensive ventilation systems for the removal of styrene fumes from the workplace. "This is an obvious economic advantage," says Larsen. "But it also points out that epoxy resins contribute a significant environmental, health and safety benefit as well."

Dow Epoxy solutions for composites
Dow Epoxy offers raw materials for all composite processes and technologies, including filament winding, hand lay-up, pre-impregnated ("pre-preg") and infusion. Available on a global basis, these raw materials include low viscosity liquid epoxy resins and low viscosity blends based on bisphenol-A and bisphenol-F.

"Because the technology envelope of Dow is so large, we also have the ability to draw upon the expertise of our other global businesses to solve problems," says Larsen. "This can reduce many potential bottlenecks, especially for emerging companies in this still young industry."

Hailing from Denmark, where wind accounts for approximately 20 percent of the country's total energy, Larsen can't help but put an exclamation on Dow's involvement in this important market. "My home country has the world's largest wind industry and wind turbines are, of course, very popular there," he explains. "We really believe in using wind as a clean energy source and it's paying off by reducing pollution and reducing our dependence on fossil fuel. This is an important trend, so I'm proud that Dow Epoxy is doing its part to help customers design effective wind energy solutions for the world."

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