Upcycling Wind Turbine Blade Waste into Hierarchically Porous Silicon–Carbon Anodes for High‐Performance Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Abstract

ABSTRACT The rapid global accumulation of retired wind turbine blades (RWTBs) has emerged as a critical environmental challenge requiring urgent resolution. Conventional recycling methods, primarily limited to landfilling, construction fillers, and co‐processing in cement production, fail to achieve true resource circularity. To address this pressing issue, this study pioneers an innovative value‐added utilization strategy that successfully converts glass fibers from RWTBs into high‐performance silicon–carbon (Si─C) composite anodes for next‐generation lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). By integrating an alloying reaction‐nitridation treatment with precisely optimized chemical vapor deposition (CVD), we constructed a hierarchically porous recycled micron‐sized silicon (rP‐Si) scaffold structure with uniform carbon coating. The resulting rP‐Si@C composite exhibits exceptional electrochemical performance, maintaining a specific capacity of 1256 mAh g −1 after 300 cycles at 1 A g −1 while demonstrating exceptional structural integrity against mechanical deformation. Systematic characterization via advanced analytical techniques confirms that the unique multi‐level architecture not only effectively accommodates significant volume changes during cycling but also significantly enhances lithium‐ion (Li + ) diffusion kinetics. This work establishes a feasible technological pathway for the sustainable transformation of RWTBs into advanced energy storage components, thereby constructing a complete closed‐loop ecosystem for renewable energy infrastructure.