Aerogel Based Evaporator Prepared From Waste Wind Turbine Blades for Efficient Solar Steam Generation

With the development of the global clean energy wind power generation industry, discarded wind turbine blades have become new solid waste, posing new challenges to global environmental issues. Here we report a high-value application for the preparation of aerogel materials by mixing wind turbine blades with chitosan and high-temperature carbonization (CTS-FB@C). The powder of wind turbine blades was degraded by ethylene glycol, and the main polymer component, epoxy resin, was degraded into small-molecule short polymers with a yield of 82%. CTS-FB@C organic–inorganic hybrid aerogel, prepared by chitosan (CTS) gelation, directional freeze-drying, and high-temperature carbonization, has a low density of 0.086 g cm −3 and a high porosity of 91.17%, with a top water contact angle of 108.62° and a bottom water contact angle of only 36.31°. In the visible light range of 380–780 nm, a high light absorption rate of 89.56% for CTS-FB@C aerogel was obtained. Owing to its excellent porosity, hydrophilic wettability, and better light absorption, the as-prepared aerogel has an interfacial evaporation rate of 1.47 kg m −2 h −1 within 1 h under simulated 1 kW m −2 sunlight. This study pioneers a sustainable strategy for upcycling decommissioned wind turbine blades into functional materials, while simultaneously addressing global freshwater scarcity.