Increasing Cotton Product/Waste Value Through New Use Development
Abstract
Cotton products have been used for centuries with relatively low value and their ubiquitous use generating large quantities of waste materials. This research’s goal was to develop new uses for waste cotton fiber and cottonseed oil to increase their value and create new biobased products. Cotton fabric was treated using a furnace and autoclave under different gas environments and temperatures to study chemical and physical effects before and after epoxy composite incorporation. Findings showed relatively low temperature treatments possess effective reinforcement due to improved interfacial bonding. A high treatment temperature led to structural damages of fibers and resulted in reduced reinforcement. Acrylated and dimethacrylated cottonseed oil produced resins that could be readily crosslinked. Mechanical properties of cured cottonseed oil-based formulations showed a slightly lower strength than soybean oil-based and commercial resin due to its lower functionality. Stereolithography 3D printing of the resin was investigated and complex objects were manufactured.