Recycled Polymers for a Circular Economy Model: Case Study of 3D Printed Wind Energy Generator

Polymers are essential components of society as they are versatile, lightweight, and low-cost materials. On the other hand, the growing amount of plastic waste creates a global environmental concern. It is therefore necessary to investigate innovative methods and technologies to achieve a circular economy based on the recycling of plastic waste followed by a reprocessing. In this work, we focus on retrieving the original mechanical properties of polymers after recycling. We produce polymer composite fibers using recycled polyethylene terephthalate water bottles or polypropylene bottle caps, reinforced with various fillers, including graphene. We conduct tensile testing and analytical studies on these composites, and eventually demonstrate their 3D printing potential for application in vertical axis wind turbine rotors. The design process for the wind turbine, site selection, and wind climate analysis are briefly provided.