Comparative study of mechanical characteristics of recycled PET fibres for automobile seat cover application

Abstract

Polyethylene terephthalate is a thermoplastic polymer with a wide range of uses, including synthetic fibres and containers for beverages and other liquids. Recycling plastics reduces the amount of energy and natural resources needed to create virgin plastics. Polyethylene terephthalate containers and bottles are collected and then broken down into small flakes used to produce new products such as textile fibres. Thermo-mechanical degradation may happen during the recycling process and presence of contaminants affects the final product characteristics. Two kinds of recycled polyethylene terephthalate fibres were used for fabrics production: post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate fibres and a blend of post-consumer and post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate fibres. Focusing on knitted and flat-woven textile structures, main mechanical properties of the fabrics were assessed by various tests, like tensile strength test and wear resistance test. A comparative study with the current production of virgin polyethylene terephthalate fabrics was useful to evaluate high standards accordance for automotive field. Both knitted and flat-woven recycled polyethylene terephthalate fabrics had excellent performance after mechanical tests. Post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate fabrics had the best results, especially after wear resistance test. These results allow an evaluation of their applications.