Utilizing waste polyester/cotton fibers to improve the mechanical properties of composite materials

Abstract Recycling of waste polyester/cotton blended fabrics (WPCF) is of great significance for the sustainable development of the textile industry and circular economy. The use of WPCF in the manufacture of composite is a worthwhile way of reusing resources. This study has adopted WPCF to reinforce general plastics, and WPCF reinforced composites were prepared by mixing and injecting molding process using two matrix materials, Polypropylene (PP) and low melting point polyester (LMPET). The work has also investigated the effects of the WPCF content and length on the properties of the composites. The WPCF were found to be compatible with LMPET within the studied range and the most significant enhancement in tensile, flexural, and impact strength of LMPET/WPCF was observed at a WPCF content of 40 wt% and a WPCF length of 8 mm, reaching 75.3 MPa, 85.2 MPa, and 3.2 kJ m ⁻² , respectively, which can be applied in the field of high rigidity materials. The tensile, flexural, and impact strengths of PP/WPCF reached 40.9 MPa, 42.9 MPa, and 11.5 kJ m ⁻² at 30 wt% content and 8 mm length of WPCF. Furthermore, the maximum impact strength of PP/WPCF reached 18.38 kJ m ⁻² when the WPCF content was 40 wt%. Highlights Effectively reinforced general plastics to prepare composites by WPCF. The most significant improvement in impact resistance is seen in composites. WPCF exerted heterogeneous nucleation in composites. WPCF is distributed in a three‐dimensional network structure.