# Tsinghua University turns wind turbine blade waste into silicon carbide and graphene at 2000°C

- Published: 2026-11-06 18:35 UTC
- Section: Planet › Ecology & recycling
- Tags: wind turbine blade recycling, flash Joule heating, silicon carbide from waste, graphene from waste, Tsinghua University, Chem Circularity, upcycling composites, fiberglass resin waste
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-5a00bfb8f154694ade8ba646_tsinghua_university_turns/

**Flash Joule heating converts retired blades into silicon carbide and graphene in seconds; the authors report 83%–92% lower emissions than conventional recycling.**

![Tsinghua University turns wind turbine blade waste into silicon carbide and graphene at 2000°C](https://sgzwpqqelzmajkcubgkl.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/rt-media/2026/11/9c7ab9fecdc1a5eb.webp)
*Interesting Engineering*

Researchers at Tsinghua University in China have converted discarded wind turbine blades into silicon carbide and graphene with a brief burst of intense heat. The work was published on November 6 in the Cell Press journal Chem Circularity and reported by eurekalert.org. [1] Using flash Joule heating, the team brought the waste to about 2000°C (3632°F) within seconds. [1] According to the authors, the method could cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 83%–92% compared with conventional recycling and still turn a profit. [1]

## From fiberglass and resin to silicon carbide

Senior author Bing Deng notes that turbines typically serve around 20 years. As aging units are decommissioned, especially in China, where wind power has expanded rapidly, much of the waste has ended up in landfills. [1]

The method uses the blades' own composition. Blades are usually made of silica-containing fiberglass and carbon-rich polymer resin. At about 2000°C, carbon reacts with silica to form silicon carbide, a hard, heat-resistant material. Part of the carbon reorganizes into graphene, which is known for its strength and its ability to conduct heat and electricity. [1]

The researchers added the recovered materials to other materials, including resin of the kind used in new blades. At 0.3% by weight, the additive made the resin stiffer and stronger: its resistance to deformation improved by 27% under tension and by 9% when bent. At 0.1% by weight, thermal diffusivity rose by 41%, so heat spreads through the resin more quickly. [1]

## Emissions and cost compared with pyrolysis

The authors compared the process with pyrolysis, which uses heat to break polymers down into oil and gas, and with chemical dissolution, which uses solvents to separate resin from glass fibers. Relative to these two, the new method could lower greenhouse gas emissions by about 83% and 92%, respectively. [1]

Lead author Hao Bi said that conventional methods require paying to process the waste, while this one could yield a profit of about $80 per ton, because the recovered silicon carbide and graphene have value. For comparison, he gave about $460 per ton for pyrolysis and about $1,800 per ton for chemical dissolution. [1]

The team is working on ways to scale up the process and hopes to collaborate with industry partners. According to the authors, the approach could also be adapted to other durable materials used in aerospace, automotive manufacturing, electronics packaging and construction. [1]

## Sources

1. [eurekalert.org](https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1149670)
2. [Interesting Engineering](https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/scientists-heat-old-wind-turbine-blades)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-5a00bfb8f154694ade8ba646_tsinghua_university_turns/