Engineering Properties of Waste Badminton String Fiber

Abstract

This work addresses the feasibility of using waste badminton string fiber in cement and polymer matrices. A badminton racquet, once used, is torn and needs replacement with new strings. These torn strings, once cut from the badminton racquet system, become waste, and these fibers cannot be recycled and remain debris. Hence, this study examines the microstructural and mechanical properties of new fibers and old torn fibers comparatively. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy are used to study the microstructural properties of the fiber. Direct tensile stress is applied to new and old fibers in the universal testing machine varying by one, three, and five strands of the fibers and varying the gauge length to 60, 80, and 100 mm, and the respective energy absorption is calculated. From investigation with a varying number of strands, similar results were observed in both old and new fibers from energy absorption and residual force ratio. From investigation with varying gauge length, the tensile stress of new fibers varies between 648.53 and 749.03 MPa, and that of old fibers is 537.40–625.55 MPa. Young’s modulus for new and old fibers is 4870.00 and 4843.50 MPa, respectively. The Weibull statistical approach is used to test the variability of test results. The Weibull modulus varies between 5.27 and 9.17, which shows lower variability. Thus, the tensile stress results obtained for the discarded badminton fibers pave way for incorporating these fibers in cement and polymer matrices to improve the matrix properties.