Abstract:
The rapid accumulation of decommissioned wind turbine blades has made the high-value recovery of resin matrices in epoxy composites an urgent issue in the circular utilization of wind energy equipment. Conventional recycling routes, including mechanical recycling, thermal recycling, and non-selective chemical recycling, generally focus on resin removal and fiber recovery, making it difficult to simultaneously preserve the petrochemical value retained in the resin phase and maintain the performance of reinforcing fibers. This review summarizes recent advances in the selective depolymerization of resin matrices in epoxy composites from decommissioned wind turbine blades. The composition characteristics of blade epoxy composites, the structural features of resin networks, and the major chemical bond types are first outlined. On this basis, the limitations of mechanical recycling, thermal recycling, and non-selective chemical recycling are briefly discussed. Particular emphasis is then placed on selective bond-cleavage strategies targeting ester, C—N, C—O, C—C, and mixed bonds, together with the corresponding catalytic systems and mechanistic insights. The differences among these pathways in terms of product selectivity, fiber preservation, and applicability to different resin systems are also highlighted. Current studies indicate that mechanical and thermal recycling are relatively mature technologies, but they are still largely restricted to downgraded material utilization or fiber recovery, while the resin matrix is often subjected to random degradation, leading to complex product distributions and limited value retention. In contrast, selective depolymerization enables the directed recovery of monomers, oligomers, and functional intermediates through controlled activation and cleavage of specific chemical bonds, while largely preserving the structural integrity and mechanical properties of reinforcing fibers. Overall, selective depolymerization of resin matrices from decommissioned wind turbine blades has evolved into a research framework centered on bond-type recognition, catalytic regulation, and product-oriented transformation. Among the various pathways, C—O bond cleavage and mixed-bond cooperative deconstruction show particularly strong potential for high-value recovery. Nevertheless, major challenges remain, including the coexistence of multiple materials in real blades, interfacial coupling, service-induced aging, catalyst stability and recyclability, utilization of residual fractions, and process scale-up. From the perspective of mechanistic control and bond-targeted deconstruction, this review is expected to provide useful guidance for the precise, high-value, and sustainable recycling of resin matrices in decommissioned wind turbine blades.