Cotton based composite fabric reinforced with waste polyester fibers for improved mechanical properties

With the focus of industries shifting towards sustainable processing methods and the use of sustainable raw materials, reuse and recycling of polyester have gained a lot of momentum. In spite of considerable efforts, the utilization of polyester fiber waste has not yet found a strong foundation in textile processing. In this paper, waste polyester fibers obtained during the melt spinning process has been utilized by first dissolving it in an m-cresol solvent and later by chemical route polyester is regenerated on cotton leading to the preparation of cotton based composite fabric. The presence of polyester was confirmed using XRD, FTIR, and percent add on and SEM. Percent add on of 9.7% along with the doubling of tensile strength and enhanced thermal stability was observed. The results can make a way as one of the possibilities of utilizing polyester fiber waste.