Henkel has introduced a new polyurethane adhesive designed to prevent crack propagation on wind blades and deliver long-term structural integrity on turbine assemblies.
According to Henkel, Macroplast UK 1340 is the first polyurethane adhesive to be approved by Germanischer Lloyd (GL). The GL requirements primarily relate to an adhesive's tensile shear strength, resistance to aging, creep behavior and glass transition temperature.
Macroplast UK 1340 has demonstrated a tensile shear strength exceeding 20 MPa at -40 degrees C to 80 degrees C and a Tg of 65 degrees C and higher. The adhesive has demonstrated dynamic fatigue strength, which allows wind blades to handle deflection, dynamic load and stress on the adhesive bond line, and reduces the risk of stress cracking, according to Henkel.
In addition to blade bonding, the new two-component polyurethane adhesive is also being used in other structural bonding applications on wind turbines, including bonding components to the rotor blade and securing the ladder to the tower assembly.
