Originally posted by Racer X 69 Windmill blades are painted. A grayish white color, same as the generator house and the towers.
Here is a wind turbines blade headed to a tower assembly site in Kentucky.
Another one in Laramie, Wyoming, again, destined for a wind farm assembly site.
There is a blade inside this crate. Somewhere in Texas.
Originally posted by tim60 The blades do not need to be manufactured white.
Actually they are simply clear resin when they come out of the mold.
Blades are of composite construction. A clamshell mold, dry fiberglass layup, foam and balsa core, more fiberglass and carbon fiber, vacuum bagged and resin infused. After the resin is cured, the blade is popped from the mold, mold flashing trimmed, then prepped and painted.
This video shows the process. Keep in mind the colossal size of these things. Over 125 feet long. I read an article about the process, and VOC (volatile organic compounds) emissions are a concern, given the large quantities of chemicals used. Manufacturers are taking measures to catch the VOC emissions during the vacuum Infusion process, thereby resulting impact on the environment.