Reusing polyester/cotton blend fabrics for composites

✍ Scribed by Yi Zou; Narendra Reddy; Yiqi Yang

• Book ID: 104016203
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 791 KB
• Volume: 42
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1359-8368
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesb.2011.01.022

✦ Synopsis

This paper demonstrates a unique approach of developing composites from used polyester/cotton blend fabrics without the need of plasticizers or additional matrix or reinforcing materials. Considerable amounts of PET/cotton blend fabrics are disposed every year due to the technical challenge and/or economical viability of recycling PET from PET/cotton fabrics. The feasibility of compression molding PET/ cotton fabrics into composites was studied. The influences of plasticizers on mechanical properties of composites were investigated. PET/cotton composites without plasticizers provided 153% higher modulus of elasticity, 36% higher Young's modulus, similar impact resistance but 17% lower flexural strength and 44% lower tensile strength compared to that of PET matrix.