The Influence of Nanoclay on the Flame Retardancy and Mechanical Performance of Recycled Carpet Composites

Abstract

In the present study, we recycled waste carpet using a vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process. Three different variations of carpet composites were fabricated, namely, neat epoxy, clay-coated, and clay-infused carpet composites. The carpet composite samples were degraded hygrothermally as well as under a cyclic UV condensation condition. Presence of clay was shown to impede the moisture absorption and UV degradation in the carpet composites. Flexural properties also showed that the presence of clay slows the degradation process of the composites. The flame retardancy result indicated that the presence of clay in the polymer network decreases the ignition time of the carpet composites.