Research progresses of composites with natural fibers recycled from textiles waste

Using recycled textile fibers in composites is currently one of the most effective approaches to reutilize textile waste. To explore the research progress and trends in recycled fiber composites, a visual analysis of the relevant literature is conducted using the software Citespace. Furthermore, the study systematically reviews the preparation methods, influencing factors, and recent applications of recycled fiber composites with various functional properties. The results indicate that fiber reinforcements, polymer matrix materials, and fabrication techniques are critical factors influencing the performance of fiber composites. Current research primarily focuses on five main areas: reinforcement composites, sound-absorbing and thermal-insulating composites, flame-retardant composites, pressure-sensing composites, and filtration and adsorption composites. Existing manufacturing techniques such as hand lay-up molding (HND), compression molding (COM), resin transfer molding (RTM), and vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) have been employed in the fabrication of these composites, among which VARTM and COM have been more prevalently adopted compared to HND and RTM. In addition, the recycled fibers used in these composites are predominantly cotton and wool, typically accounting for 1–81% of the total composition, with most composites containing less than 50% recycled fibers. It is recommended that future developments of regenerated fiber composites emphasize improvements in durability, uniformity, and sustainability.