Use of discarded carpet material in the development of polymer (epoxy) composites for structural functions

Abstract

The solid waste generated through the carpet and textile industry produces pollution and health risks in various forms when discharged into the open space. This study aims to utilize post-consumer discarded carpets for the manufacturing of lightweight polymer composites. The waste generated from the carpet industry has been a matter of serious concern for the environment. The average life of a carpet is approximate 8-9 years. After that becomes a non-biodegradable waste that is hazardous for the environment and occupies large landfill areas. In this context, the carpet waste is used to enhance the structural properties of the polymer (epoxy) composite. The epoxy is modified using waste carpet in two separate configurations: back-fiber-fiber-back (BFFB) and fiber-back- back-fiber (FBBF). A modified Vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) has been used to infuse the mixture (epoxy and hardener) into the waste carpet samples. The tensile, compressive, and flexural strength tests of the proposed samples were performed to analyze the mechanical behavior. The Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) outcomes demonstrate a good bonding strength between the epoxy matrix and filler material fabric (waste carpet). The FBBF configuration has comparatively superior mechanical performance than the BFFB. The mechanical testing results indicate that the developed samples can be satisfactorily used for lightweight structural applications such as sound barriers, wall tiles, desk boards, toys components, decorative product parts, etc. The research demonstrates that polymer composite reinforced by carpet waste can be endorsed as an acceptable and cost-effective replacement of structural polymer components. Also, the proposed method is remarked as a feasible solution to utilize the waste carpet into end products.