Investigation of Mechanical Properties of Recycled Textile Waste Bio-Epoxy Composites for the Replacement of Traditional Materials Used in Structural Applications

Abstract

Sustainable bio-based composites are eco-friendly alternatives to conventional composites. This study aimed to recycle natural fiber textile waste into sustainable bio-epoxy composites and investigate their mechanical properties. Textile waste strips (100% cotton denim fabric) were segregated and reinforced using bio-epoxy. Composites were prepared with four stacking sequences, comprising S1: (0)₄, S2: (0/90)₂ with interlacement, S3: (0/90/0/90), and S4: (0/− 45/90/ + 45), with a similar fiber volume fraction. The mechanical performances of the composites were investigated via three-point bending, low-velocity impact (LVI), Charpy impact, and tensile tests using three-dimensional digital image correlation. S3 and S4 exhibited the lowest and highest bending strengths, respectively, in the longitudinal direction. In the transverse direction, there were no major differences in the bending strengths of S2, S3, and S4; however, S1 showed a decrease of up to 50%. In the LVI tests, S4 and S1 exhibited the highest and lowest impact resistances, respectively. In the Charpy impact test, S4 exhibited the maximum resistance to failure. In the tensile test, S1 exhibited the highest tensile strength in the longitudinal direction, followed by S4, S2, and S3. The results demonstrated that the interlacement and stacking sequences significantly affected the mechanical performance of each composite.