Łukasiewicz – IEL opened its laboratories to the youngest. In April 2024, we started a series of workshops dedicated to pre-school and school children and, as it turned out in practice, the teachers themselves are also keen to get involved in science and art activities.
During the meetings, we told the participants what the work of a scientist is all about and that the scientists at Łukasiewicz – IEL are, among other things, involved in developing a method for recycling windmills. We explained how, step by step, to make powder from a wind turbine rotor blade, which can be an important raw material for the production of new things, including paints.
During this time, the children, inspired by stories about energy, power and recycling, were able to create works with acrylic paints on professional painting bases. These are exactly the kind of paints to which recyclate from a wind blade can also be added. The works were then coated with a layer of epoxy resin to give them the effect of a sheet of glass, and allow us to tell the story of research into the use of epoxy resins in the energy industry, including for wind turbine blades and ship hulls.
Paintings and paint containing recyclate is not the end of the workshop!
The next stage and works are colourful figures cast in resin with recyclates and glitter. While composing these works, the children realise composite technology with their own hands on a very small (and colourful) laboratory scale and learn what is the difference between dye and pigment?
The workshop, is also a time of experience and learning for us Łukasiewicz – IEL scientists. Through these meetings, we learned, among other things, that the colour pale pink is actually the colour of an onion.
We hope that some of our visitors will return in the future to become Łukasiewicz – IEL scientists in their adult lives.
The project was co-financed from funds from the state budget allocated by the Minister of Education and Science as part of a task carried out on the recommendation of the President of the Łukasiewicz Centre.
