Incorporation of glass fibre fabrics waste into geopolymer matrices: An eco-friendly solution for off-cuts coming from wind turbine blade production

authors	Novais, RM; Carvalheiras, J; Capela, MN; Seabra, MP; Pullar, RC; Labrincha, JA
nationality	International
journal	CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
author keywords	Wind turbine; Glass fibre waste; Inorganic polymer; Mechanical properties
keywords	BIOMASS FLY-ASH; MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES; COMPOSITES; NANOCLAY; MORTARS; WATER
abstract	In this investigation, an innovative and sustainable solution for glass fibre off-cuts is proposed. For the first time, glass fibre fabrics (non-woven mat) produced during wind turbine blade manufacture were used to produce reinforced inorganic polymer composites. The influence of fabric amount on the composites' microstructure, water absorption, strength and apparent density was investigated. Results show that the fabrics exhibited an impressive flexural strength gain (up to 144%) at the 28th day, when compared to the non-reinforced geopolymer, while simultaneously increasing the composites' ductility. This feature may extend the application range of such geopolymers. Moreover, the fabric prevents the complete collapse of the composites upon failure, while the matrix alone fails catastrophically under load. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
publisher	ELSEVIER SCI LTD
issn	0950-0618
year published	2018
volume	187
beginning page	876
ending page	883
digital object identifier (doi)	10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.08.004
web of science category	Construction & Building Technology; Engineering, Civil; Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
subject category	Construction & Building Technology; Engineering; Materials Science
unique article identifier	WOS:000446286400079