Design and Fabrication of Sustainable Flat Washers Using Textile Fabric Waste

Abstract

Sri Lanka's vibrant textile and apparel industry generates a substantial amount of textile waste, particularly discarded denim, from its manufacturing processes. Both large-scale production facilities and small garment workshops contribute to this accumulation, making denim waste an abundant, yet largely untapped, resource and a significant pollutant. Currently, most discarded denim ends up in landfills, where synthetic dyes and chemical finishes contaminate ecosystems. To mitigate this environmental impact, this research investigates the feasibility of designing and fabricating sustainable flat washers using a denim fabric waste composite. The composite material was prepared by embedding denim fabric waste into an epoxy resin matrix, which was then crosslinked using a methyl ethyl ketone peroxide catalyst. Different denim fiber-to-resin ratios (1:15, 1:20, 1:25, and 1:30) were prepared according to ASTM standards to investigate their mechanical properties, including compressive strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, and hardness. The 1:20 denim fiber-to-resin ratio composite consistently exhibited superior mechanical properties compared to the other composites. The 1:20 denim to resin ratio composite showed the flexural strength of 356.67 MPa which suggests the material's capability to withstand bending loads effectively. The tensile strength of 5.33 MPa was achieved by 1:20 fiber to resin composite indicating sufficient durability for tension-based applications and also exhibited compressive strength of 29.47 GPa highlights the material's ability to resist high compressive forces, making it suitable for heavy-load applications. Although their hardness is lower compared to conventional washers made from aluminum and mild steel, they still provide adequate hardness for many applications. The findings underscore the potential of using recycled textile waste as a viable alternative to traditional materials, offering environmental benefits without significantly compromising mechanical performance. This makes the 1:20 ratio composite flat washers a promising option for applications where sustainability is a key consideration, such as induction motor holder, fan head screw, automobile engine holding place and bicycle rear wheel axle washers. This work contributes to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 9 and 12 in Sri Lanka.