Derek Berry How do you support your partners? D.B. – We act on a number of levels: full-scale structuraltests on smal l quantities of Elium® composites, such as 13-meter blades, in order to assess structural mechanical performance. Another important aspect of what we do is determining, by measuring all production and operating costs, the wind turbine’s financial viability with Elium® composite blades compared to thermoset resin blades. Arkema conducts its own tests at the same time and we share our results. That gives us more credibility when offering this innovation to manufacturers and operators in the United States and worldwide. Can you specify what Elium resin offers?® D.B. – The initial promise is to make the part recyclable, which is a breakthrough innovation as recyclability is very hard to achieve with thermoset resin composites such as epoxy and polyester. But as brilliant as it may be, an innovation needs to be financially viable and easy to manufacture. Our tests have shown this to be the case: manufacturing blades from Elium composite materials is similar to® the process for manufacturing thermoset composites used for the last forty years. Because it's liquid, it is easy to use, but the possibility it offers of using heat- sealing also makes it very attractive to manufacturers. Heat-sealing replaces the bonding adhesive used for the blades made from thermoset composites, a costly process that makes the parts heavier, without sacrificing the wind turbine’s performance. How does this innovation support the wind power industry? D.B. – The US wind power industry has grown steadily over the last twenty years and constitutes a financial ly viable and increasingly attractive energy source. Elium resin helps to make wind® power generation more competitive, effective and environmentally friendly with better management of end-of-life blades. This is essential for the United States, to support companies in the wind power value chain, such as General Electric, the parent company of blade manufacturer LM Wind Power. ■ 19