Experimental mechanical characterisation, regression-based modelling and life cycle assessment of surface-modified jute fibre reinforced recycled PET compositesShow others and affiliations
2026 (English)In: Discover Materials, E-ISSN 2730-7727, Vol. 6, article id 164Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
The accumulation of post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste necessitates value-added recycling strategies that restore mechanical performance while maintaining environmental sustainability. In this study, recycled PET (rPET) was reinforced with 20 wt% short jute fibres subjected to untreated (UT), NaOH-treated (NT), and silane-treated (ST) surface modifications. Composites were fabricated by injection moulding and characterised using X-ray diffraction and FTIR to confirm removal of amorphous constituents and formation of interfacial siloxane linkages. Surface treatment improved consolidation, with experimental density increasing from 1.22 to 1.24 g/cm³ and porosity decreasing from 3.9% to 2.4%. Correspondingly, tensile strength increased from 38.78 to 48.29 MPa, flexural strength from 50.30 to 68.84 MPa, short-beam shear strength from 11.74 to 14.66 MPa, and hardness from 77 to 81 Shore D. One-way ANOVA confirmed statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05). Porosity-based linear regression modelling demonstrated strong structure–property relationships (R² = 0.631–0.916), with cross-validated R² values of 0.391–0.861, indicating moderate predictive robustness within the investigated domain. A cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment revealed low carbon footprints (2.49–2.51 kg CO₂-eq kg⁻¹), with fibre surface modification introducing only marginal environmental penalties. The results demonstrate that surface-engineered jute fibres effectively enhance the mechanical integrity of recycled PET while maintaining favourable sustainability performance.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Discover , 2026. Vol. 6, article id 164
Keywords [en]
Recycled PET composites, Jute fibre, Surface modification, Alkali and silane treatment, Mechanical properties, Life cycle assessment (LCA)
National Category
Other Environmental Engineering Composite Science and Engineering
Research subject
Fire Technology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-117746DOI: 10.1007/s43939-026-00676-6ISI: 001771210000001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105039763203OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-117746DiVA, id: diva2:2064334
Note
Full text license: CC BY
2026-06-012026-06-012026-06-01Bibliographically approved