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The aim of this paper is to develop a textile waste-based composite material with adequate mechanical, acoustical, and thermal properties for automotive or construction fields. For this purpose, three recycled nonwoven wastes including cotton, polyester, and cotton/polyester blend are employed and blended in epoxy resin. The manufacturing of the composite panels is performed by vacuum infusion technique. Mechanical, thermal and acoustical tests are conducted to characterize the performances of both nonwoven fabrics and composite panels. Theoretical Young’s moduli of different composites are calculated based on the rule of mixtures in two ways and compared with practical results. Results show that mechanical properties of the manufactured panels are significantly improved compared to pure resin without a notable change in the thermal behavior of the epoxy resin, where composite reinforced cotton nonwoven shows a specific Young’s modulus of 3500 MPa/g·cm−3 and a specific tensile strength of 38 MPa/g·cm−3. These panels have been found to be promising materials to decrease the noise emission and good alternatives to pure epoxy products due to their contribution to reducing the textile wastes in landfills as well as the production costs.

In this work, chitosan hydrogel has been synthesized and used to impart pH‐sensitivity and antimicrobial finish to cotton fabric. In order to enhance the incorporation rate of hydrogel, anionic, and cationic activation of the textile surface was applied and then compared. The antibacterial activity of the fabric was then studied. The results revealed an enhancement of the antibacterial activities of the modified fabrics against Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogene, and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria's. The capacity of material to respond to pH change was studied and confirmed using contact angle method. The anionic fabric treated with hydrogel showed a better pH‐responsiveness. Scanning electron microscopic testing results has also confirmed that the deposition of hydrogel was clearly better with the anionic activation. The characteristics of breathability of the fabrics were analyzed. The results show that the moisture management behavior of the finished materials is significantly better than the control one. Although the permeability to air has reduced by 10%, the permeability to water vapor remained practically unchanged. Furthermore, the effects of the antibacterial finishing on the physical properties of the cotton fabrics were also investigated. It was established that the functionalized samples have changed structure parameters, thickness, air permeability, tensile strength, and resistance to wrinkles. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46645.