Seattle-Based Company Innovates Composite Wind Blade Decommissioning Recycling

    SEATTLE, WA, April 15, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Global Fiberglass Solutions Inc. (GFSI) and Washington State University (WSU) announced today that they have successfully manufactured a variety of composite products with fiberglass material taken from decommissioned wind blades.

Prior to installation, the 173-foot long wind turbine blades were damaged in a storm and harvested by GFSI from Portland General Electric's Tucannon River Wind Farm in Eastern Washington. The WSU Composite Materials and Engineering Center processed small sections of the wind blade and blended the fibers with a new composition of resins and other materials developed by GFSI.

Testing conducted for the manufactured products showed overall superior mechanical and physical properties compared to many current wood composites. According to WSU Associate Professor Dr. Karl Englund, the resulting base composite material, Ecopolycrete, is suitable for a whole range of green manufacturing applications and products expected to have a significant impact on reducing the practice of landfilling fiberglass scrap from wind turbine blades and other sources.

According to CEO Don Lilly, GFSI now has a patented process in place that in combination with innovative machinery can take fiberglass and carbon fiber from efficient shredding and grinding to manufacturing commercially ready high-grade products.

Both GFSI and WSU plan to continue their collaborative work to develop new applications for recycled FRP and CFRP.

About Washington State University
Founded in 1890 in Pullman, Washington State University provides leading research and world-class learning to 25,000 students at Pullman, Spokane, Vancouver, and Richland. The Composite Materials and Engineering Center (CMEC) is an interdisciplinary research facility administered through the College of Engineering and Architecture at WSU. The CMEC provides a unified program of research, education, and technology transfer in the areas of sustainable composite materials, processing innovations, and enhanced design methodologies for structural performance and public safety.

About Global Fiberglass Solutions, Inc.
As a Fiberglass Recycling, Material Science, and Green Manufacturing Company, Global Fiberglass Solutions' primary business goal is the development and production of high quality, non-polluting infrastructure products from recycled fiberglass and carbon fiber. Their national and international recycling and manufacturing facilities are being planned and built in cooperation with major industrial partners, securing a profitable cradle-to-cradle system while removing fiberglass materials from waste streams and landfills. GFSI is headquartered in Bothell, Washington, with offices in Richmond, Canada and Corby, England.

Contact
To learn more about this article please contact [email protected] or call 425-954-3788.

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