This paper develops a research of environmental sustainability assessment of innovative approaches for the management of end-of-life composite materials, present in wind turbines. If, on the one hand, these materials bring innumerable advantages which facilitate the mechanical performance of the blades, on the other, they produce a large quantity of waste sent to landfills. Several studies show that from 2033 all over the world there will be over 200,000 tons of composite materials to be disposed of; for this reason, the most difficult challenge today is to identify new approaches for the eco-sustainable management of composites, from a circular economy perspective. Starting from 2014, the Marche Applied Research Laboratory for Innovative Composites project, acronym "MARLIC", was born in Italy with the aim of investigating different methods for the reuse of waste, which after adequate treatment, will become a resource for other productions; or, secondary raw material for the same production. The project, financed by the Marche Region, under the POR Marche FESR 2014-2020, as previously written, provides for the presence and collaboration between twenty-seven subjects led by the company HP Composites, world leader in the design and production of components in advanced composite of innovative materials, twenty companies and five research centres: University of Camerino, Polytechnic University of the Marches, University of Urbino, ENEA and CNR. The work proposed by me examines three alternative recycling processes, mechanical, chemical and thermal, which allow to obtain replaceable composites for new productions. Subsequently, an LCA analysis was carried out to evaluate the environmental impact of these methodologies. Finally, methods for evaluating the circularity of the proposed approaches were considered. The survey revealed that the most sustainable choices are the mechanical and thermal options, since in both cases the advantage linked to the recovered material exceeds the impact of the process itself. The thermal process was by far the most advantageous and most sustainable; this is because a large part of the products are fibers that can be recovered to replace virgin fibers for the production of new wind blades and a significant recovery of energy obtained by means of hydrocarbon composites produced which will re-enter the system to fuel the process. Finally, the analysis on the valorisation of new management strategies for end-of-life composite materials demonstrates that there are still possible solutions to the fight against climate change, through actions that do not necessarily have to negatively impact the environment. The study, therefore, shows that nothing is lost.
Il presente elaborato sviluppa una ricerca di sostenibilità ambientale di nuove strategie di gestione di materiali compositi a fine vita, presenti in turbine eoliche. Se da un lato questi materiali apportano innumerevoli vantaggi che agevolano le prestazioni meccaniche delle pale, dall'altro, producono una quantità elevata di rifiuti conferiti in discarica. Diversi studi dimostrano che a partire dal 2033 in tutto il mondo saranno oltre 200.000, le tonnellate di materiali compositi da smaltire; per questo ad oggi la sfida più ardua è quella di individuare nuovi approcci di gestione ecosostenibile dei compositi, in un'ottica di economia circolare. A partire dal 2014, in Italia nasce il progetto Marche Applied Research Laboratory for Innovative Composites, acronimo “MARLIC”, con lo scopo di indagare su metodi differenti per il riutilizzo di scarto, che dopo adeguato trattamento, diventerà risorsa per altre produzioni; oppure, materia prima seconda per la stessa produzione. Il progetto, finanziato dalla Regione Marche, nell’ambito del POR Marche FESR 2014-2020, come scritto in precedenza, prevede la presenza e la collaborazione tra ventisette soggetti guidati dall’impresa HP Composites, leader mondiale nella progettazione e produzione di componenti in materiale composito avanzato di materiali innovativi, venti aziende e cinque centri di ricerca: Università di Camerino, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Università degli Studi di Urbino, ENEA e CNR. Il lavoro da me proposto esamina tre processi di riciclaggio alternativi, meccanico, chimico e termico che permettono di ottenere compositi sostituibili alle nuove produzioni. Successivamente per valutare l’impatto ambientale di queste metodologie è stata effettuata un’analisi LCA. Infine sono stati considerati metodi di valutazione della circolarità degli approcci proposti. Dall’indagine è emerso come le scelte più sostenibili sono l’opzione meccanica e la termica, poiché in entrambi i casi il vantaggio legato al materiale recuperato supera l’impatto stesso del processo. Il processo termico è risultato in assoluto più vantaggioso e più sostenibile; questo perché gran parte dei prodotti sono fibre che possono essere recuperate in sostituzione di fibre vergini per la produzione di nuove pale eoliche e un recupero significativo di energia ottenuto per mezzo di compositi idrocarburi prodotti che rientreranno nel sistema per alimentare il processo. In finale, l’analisi sulla valorizzazione delle nuove strategie di gestione di materiali compositi a fine vita dimostra che esistono ancora possibili soluzioni alla lotta contro i cambiamenti climatici, attraverso azioni che non necessariamente devono impattare negativamente l’ambiente. Lo studio, quindi mostra che nulla è perduto.
SOSTENIBILITA' AMBIENTALE DI NUOVE STRATEGIE DI GESTIONE DI MATERIALI COMPOSITI A FINE VITA
VALERI, CHIARA
2021/2022
Abstract
This paper develops a research of environmental sustainability assessment of innovative approaches for the management of end-of-life composite materials, present in wind turbines. If, on the one hand, these materials bring innumerable advantages which facilitate the mechanical performance of the blades, on the other, they produce a large quantity of waste sent to landfills. Several studies show that from 2033 all over the world there will be over 200,000 tons of composite materials to be disposed of; for this reason, the most difficult challenge today is to identify new approaches for the eco-sustainable management of composites, from a circular economy perspective. Starting from 2014, the Marche Applied Research Laboratory for Innovative Composites project, acronym "MARLIC", was born in Italy with the aim of investigating different methods for the reuse of waste, which after adequate treatment, will become a resource for other productions; or, secondary raw material for the same production. The project, financed by the Marche Region, under the POR Marche FESR 2014-2020, as previously written, provides for the presence and collaboration between twenty-seven subjects led by the company HP Composites, world leader in the design and production of components in advanced composite of innovative materials, twenty companies and five research centres: University of Camerino, Polytechnic University of the Marches, University of Urbino, ENEA and CNR. The work proposed by me examines three alternative recycling processes, mechanical, chemical and thermal, which allow to obtain replaceable composites for new productions. Subsequently, an LCA analysis was carried out to evaluate the environmental impact of these methodologies. Finally, methods for evaluating the circularity of the proposed approaches were considered. The survey revealed that the most sustainable choices are the mechanical and thermal options, since in both cases the advantage linked to the recovered material exceeds the impact of the process itself. The thermal process was by far the most advantageous and most sustainable; this is because a large part of the products are fibers that can be recovered to replace virgin fibers for the production of new wind blades and a significant recovery of energy obtained by means of hydrocarbon composites produced which will re-enter the system to fuel the process. Finally, the analysis on the valorisation of new management strategies for end-of-life composite materials demonstrates that there are still possible solutions to the fight against climate change, through actions that do not necessarily have to negatively impact the environment. The study, therefore, shows that nothing is lost.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12075/12481