Sustainable upcycling of aluminium and nylon waste into hybrid composite

Purpose This study aims to develop a sustainable route for the upcycling of aluminium and nylon waste into high-performance metal-polymer composites. The work focuses on evaluating the mechanical, tribological and thermal behaviour of a nylon–reinforced aluminium composite fabricated through a conventional casting technique. Design/methodology/approach A composite containing 20% nylon and rest aluminium by weight was fabricated using the melt-casting process. The material was characterised for its tensile strength, hardness, impact strength, tribological performance and thermal stability. Microstructural analysis was performed to study the dispersion and interfacial interaction between aluminium and nylon phases. Findings The fabricated composite exhibited improvements in impact strength (21%), coefficient of friction (23%) and wear resistance (39%) compared to pure aluminium, while slight reductions were observed in tensile strength (approximately 3.4%) and hardness (approximately 10%). The composite achieved a weight reduction of 16.1% and cost savings between 31% and 54%. Microstructural observations confirmed uniform nylon dispersion within the aluminium matrix, resulting in enhanced tribo-mechanical performance. The thermal stability of the composite was marginally lower than that of pure aluminium. Originality/value This work introduces a novel and sustainable approach for recycling aluminium and nylon waste into hybrid metal–polymer composites with improved performance-to-weight and cost ratios. The developed composite demonstrates potential for structural and functional applications in aerospace and automotive sectors, owing to its lightweight nature, reduced friction, wear resistance and economic feasibility.