Exploration of the thermal and mechanical characteristics of polymethyl methacrylate-based copolymers: implications for wind turbine blades applications

Abstract

Wind turbine (WT) blade fabrication typically employs thermosetting resins, whose recycling challenges post-retirement have resulted in environmental pressures. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop a low-viscosity, high-performance, and recyclable material with excellent mechanical properties that is compatible with WT fabrication processes, serving as a viable alternative to traditional epoxy resins. Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) resin is considered a promising candidate for replacing epoxy resins. However, the mechanical properties of PMMA still require improvement. In this study, we investigated the effects of introducing copolymerized monomers on the comprehensive performance of PMMA resin without affecting its viscosity, examining the influence of these copolymerized monomers on the material’s thermal and mechanical properties. Meanwhile, the mechanical properties of the synthesized PMMA-based copolymers were compared with those of blade-specific epoxy resin (WD0135). The results revealed that compared to WD0135, the flexural strength and modulus of the prepared PMMA copolymers significantly increased to 96.6 and 3158.6 MPa, respectively, with a tensile strength reaching 74.2 MPa. Consequently, this series of PMMA-based resins demonstrates immense potential for large-scale material part fabrication via casting techniques.