TPI Composites (TPI) has partnered with Tex-Tech (Kernersville, NC) and Carbon Rivers (Knoxville, TN) in a pilot program to process end-of-life wind blades, pyrolyse the material and process the recovered glass fiber into liners for cured in place pipe (CIPP).
CIPP gives new life to damaged pipelines without the excavation of streets through rehabilitation of existing water mains and waste lines by lining the walls of the existing pipe with a hardened synthetic fiber tube.
Carbon Rivers has created a pilot line for the recycling process through high-temperature pyrolysis. The result is recovery of valuable lightweight hydrocarbons as feedstocks for new products as well the glass fiber, the primary reinforcement in wind turbine blades. These reinforcements are received by Tex-Tech, who then integrate the glass fiber with other materials to create a non-woven liner, the primary component used in CIPP operations.
