Henkel’s Frekote (red areas) is used to seal blades and nacelles against the weather.
To support growth in the wind energy market, Henkel Corp., Rocky Hill, Conn., has developed a range of products for manufacturing and maintaining wind turbines. These include structural adhesives, mold-release agents, machinery adhesives, sealants, grouts, cleaners, surface treatments, tapes, and metalworking materials. Company wind-turbine products, such as Loctite, Teroson, Bonderite, Frekote, Multan, and P3, are used for blade and nacelle manufacturing, tower assembly, hub, bearing and gearbox assembly, field installation, and maintenance.
The company formulated the first Germanischer Lloyd-certified two-component structural polyurethane adhesive, as well as MMA adhesives for blade bonding and repair. These adhesives cure at room temperature and provide crack-resistant, long-lasting bonds on composites and metals. Loctite machinery adhesives such as threadlockers, thread sealants, retaining compounds, and gasketing materials, prevent fasteners from loosening, seal pipes and flanges, and bond cylindrical components. Applications include blades, gearboxes, hubs, brakes, and pitch and yaw bearings.
In addition, says the company, butyl tapes and sealants are used to vacuum form composite laminates, while Frekote, semi-permanent mold release agents, are used when molding large-scale composite components such as blades and nacelles. For waterproofing blades, nacelles and towers, and general turbine maintenance, Henkel sealants offer flexibility, primerless adhesion, short cure periods, and temperature resistance. For tower installation, Loctite high-strength grouts withstand high-torque loading and are available in grades for deep pours.
Furthermore, says Henkel, its Multan and P3 metalworking products are used during machining, forging and general forming processes and for short-term corrosion protection. Bonderite and Alodine metal surface pretreatment materials protect towers, hubs, and gearbox components from corrosion. Henkel cleaners are environmentally responsible formulations for cleaning during manufacturing and on-site maintenance of blades, nacelles, and towers.
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