Sustainable Jute Fiber–Epoxy Composites Reinforced With Silane‐Modified Recycled Submicron Glass Particles for Enhanced Mechanical, Thermal, and Fire‐Resistant Performance

ABSTRACT Natural fiber‐reinforced polymer composites are being looked at more and more as sustainable substitutes for synthetic‐fiber composites since they are cheap, readily available, and have a lower environmental impact. Yet their wider use is limited by relatively low mechanical strength, moisture sensitivity, and poor thermal stability. At the same time, large amounts of household glass waste, especially broken window glass panels, are still not being properly used even though they have the potential to serve as a silica‐containing reinforcing material. This study addresses these problems by converting waste glass panels into submicron glass particles (SMGs) and using them as a low‐cost secondary reinforcement in jute fiber/epoxy composites. The waste glass was first ball‐milled in sequence to produce SMGs with an average particle size of ~541 nm, and then subjected to piranha treatment and APTES silanization. Composites containing 0.5 wt% of silane‐modified SMGs were made using the hand lay‐up method and tested for their mechanical, thermal, thermomechanical, moisture‐absorption, and flammability properties. Compared with the composite without filler, the tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural strength, and storage modulus increased by ~24%, ~46%, ~24%, and ~78%, respectively, and 48‐h water uptake was reduced by ~29%. The composite still kept the UL‐94 V‐2 rating. The results show that there is a feasible way of turning household glass waste into a valuable reinforcement for sustainable natural fiber composites.