Development of novel silk/wool hybrid fibre polypropylene composites

Recycling and reusing fibrous waste is one of the most important environmental tasks that face the world, to reduce environmental loading and promote the most effective use of resources. In this study, the shuttle-less loom silk selvedge waste and wool fibres were used to produce functional composites. First, the silk selvedge waste was opened and converted into fibrous form. The opened silk fibres were mixed with wool and polypropylene staple fibres in the proportions of 35/15/50, 35/35/30 and 15/35/50. The functional composites were produced by compression moulding technique with optimum process conditions. The effect of silk and wool fibre content on the mechanical properties of silk/wool hybrid fibre polypropylene composites was studied by measuring the tensile strength, flexural strength and impact strength of the resultant composite material. The thermal conductivity and water uptake properties of the composites were also studied. The morphology of silk/wool hybrid fibre polypropylene composites was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy technique. It was found that the composite containing 35/15/50 silk/wool/polypropylene showed the best performance in mechanical properties. The tensile, flexural and impact strengths of 35/15/50 silk/wool/polypropylene composite sample were found to be 30.21 MPa, 19.88 MPa and 0.713 J, respectively. The results also showed that the thermal conductivity was the least while the silk and wool fibre contents were the most in the composite. The water absorption study showed that the composite containing more fibre content possessed maximum water uptake properties. The study strongly suggests that the silk/wool hybrid fibre polypropylene composite materials are quite capable of serving as a potential cost effective, technologically viable, and attractive substitute to the conventional glass epoxy composites used as electrical insulating materials in printed circuit boards.