BASF has recently launched the coatings solution for rotor blades: RELEST Wind LEP S and it has recently passed an external 50 hours rain erosion test by a renowned institute from Denmark.
The stress loads to which rotor blades are exposed during the operation are enormous: at top speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour at the blade tips, gigantic forces act upon the blades. Moreover, weather influences such as rain, snow, hail, sand, heat and UV radiation wear out the blades. The system – consisting of a gel coat, a filler, an edge protection and a topcoat – is based entirely on solvent-free, two-component polyurethane compounds. The recent test showed that with a speed of up to 160 m/s (approx. 570 km/h), the rain did not cause any significant damage on the coating.