Application of high voltage fragmentation to treat end-of-life wind blades

The use of composites is constantly increasing in several sectors, from wind energy to automotive, thanks to their mechanical properties, lightweight, and resistance to corrosion. Despite this, the recycling and reuse of these materials in high-added value applications is not yet performed at the industrial level. In particular, End-of-Life (EoL) products are sent to landfills (if possible), incinerated, or inserted in co-processing in cement plants. This work presents an experimental approach to treat End-of-Life wind blades based on High Voltage Fragmentation (HVF). This technology, based on the creation of electric spark channels, is able to generate localized shock waves at the interface between two different materials. The potential of its application has been shown in the literature, but an experimental campaign is needed to find the optimal parameters to obtain an output material with proper characteristics to feed specific output products, following a demand-driven approach.