ABSTACT
One of the current challenges in the widespread adoption of wind energy is the ability to make larger, more reliable wind blades without significantly increasing the weight of the blades. Increase in service life is needed for both wind blade composites and adhesives. Thermoset composites and adhesives are valued for excellent strength, chemical resistance and high temperature properties but suffer from low toughness. For wind energy applications, it is necessary to improve the fracture toughness and fatigue performance of blades and adhesives without effecting mechanical properties such as strength or modulus or processing variable such as viscosity or curing kinetics. Although many additives exist for improving the toughness of thermosets, most are difficult to incorporate into formulations or result in a "trade-off of properties. Arkema's controlled radical polymerization technology has been used to synthesize Nanostrength block copolymers additives, which provide excellent toughening to thermosets at low loading levels without sacrificing other properties. By controlling structuration of these polymers, a wide range of mechanical properties can be achieved while controlling the viscosity of the resin.