Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Wool Waste Fabric Reinforced Composites

Today, felt and woven fabrics are used as a reinforcement material in textile composite structures. In these structures glass and carbon fibres are the widely used ones. However for almost a decade, researchers have also shown some interest on natural fibre reinforced composites. In this study, it has been aimed to use wool waste fabric to be able to produce a lightweight composite material. For this purpose, the composite samples were produced by using wool fabrics in warp direction together with their waste blends as a reinforced material. The produced reinforced wool composite structures were then tested for both their mechanical properties, i.e. Izod impact and tensile strength tests, and for their thermal properties. The fracture surfaces of the samples were also inspected on the scanning electron microscope. According to the results, it has been evaluated that wool fabrics and their waste may be used as a reinforcement material for the application of textile composites presenting in lightweight structures for the construction industry. The wool waste fabric reinforced composites’ mechanical properties can be improved by studying various waste percentages in future studies to gain better mechanical properties. The thermal conductivity of the composites was increased as the waste increases within the structure. As a result, wool waste materials can as well be used for future recycled textile materials in lightweight reinforced composites.