Reuse polyester/cotton blend fabrics to prepare fiber reinforced composite: Fabrication, characterization, and interfacial properties evaluation

Substantial amount of polyethylene terephthalate/cotton (PET/cotton) blend fabrics have been handled as waste especially in recent decades on account of the technological barrier and/or low economic benefit of recycling PET from PET/cotton fabrics. Herein, a facile and effective approach was utilized to modify PET/cotton fabrics with co‐deposition of polyethyleneimine (PEI) and catechol (CCh) to improve the interfacial bonding of fiber‐matrix. The surface morphology and composition of fabrics were investigated by FESEM, ATR/FTIR, and XPS. Meanwhile, the surface properties were analyzed via dynamic contact angle. The results indicated that the PEI‐CCh co‐deposition aggregates were modified onto fabric surface through the synergy of intermolecular hydrogen bonding and π‐π stacking. Interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of modified PET/cotton reinforced composites were 39.71% and 50.25% higher than that of untreated PET/cotton reinforced composites, respectively. Furthermore, the enhancement mechanisms of composites are systematically discussed. A facile and effective approach was utilized to modify polyethylene phthalate/cotton (PET/cotton) fabrics with co‐deposition of polyethyleneimine (PEI) and catechol (CCh) to improve the interfacial bonding of fiber‐matrix.