Effects of Adding Natural Fillers on Textile Waste and Glass fiber Reinforced Hybrid Composite Materials

This study explores the effects of adding natural fillers, rice husk powder (RHP) and coconut coir powder (CCP), into textile waste and glass fiber reinforced hybrid composites. Three samples were fabricated using the hand lay-up method: one without fillers and two with natural fillers. To characterize the composites, tensile, impact, hardness, water absorption and density tests were conducted. The composite with no filler showed the highest tensile (33.54 MPa) and impact strength (28,456.03 J/m²), attributed to its higher fiber content. Among the filler samples, the coconut coir powder composite outperformed the rice husk powder in mechanical properties, while the rice husk composite exhibited the highest hardness (91 HR). The coconut coir also significantly reduced water absorption by 79.06% from the composite with no filler, indicating suitability for moisture-sensitive applications. These results demonstrate the feasibility of producing functional composites from textile waste-derived materials for practical engineering applications.