Evaluation of Light Cementitious Matrix with Composite Textile Reinforcement from Garment Waste

The use of recycled waste has been the focus of several studies due to its potential to allow a more sustainable use of construction materials and minimize improper waste disposal in landfills or incinerators. More specifically, garment textile waste has been examined as internal reinforcement of cementitious matrices to increase the deformability and control fissure formation. In this study, polyester textiles are analyzed and incorporated in cementitious composites in order to evaluate their mechanical properties. Results show that significant improvements in mechanical properties of composites are obtained depending on the impregnation treatment applied to the textile waste. In the direct tensile stress test, the waste impregnation with styrene butadiene polymer plus silica fume improved 35.95% in the weft direction and 9.33% in the warp direction. Maximum stress increased 53.57% and 64.48% for composites with styrene–butadiene rubber impregnation and styrene–butadiene rubber plus silica fume impregnation, respectively, when compared to the unreinforced composite. The flexural tensile strength of composites impregnated reinforcements with styrene–butadiene rubber and styrene–butadiene rubber plus silica fume presented increases in strength by 92.10% and 94.73%, respectively, when compared to the unreinforced sample. The impact test confirmed that styrene–butadiene rubber plus silica fume impregnation produced greater tenacity of the composite. In the microstructure, it is confirmed that the impregnated textile reinforcement resulted in composites with greater adhesion between the fabric and the cementitious matrix. Thus, light textile waste is concluded to be a viable construction material for non-structural elements.