Circular reuse of dryer-filter synthetic microfibres in geopolymeric coatings for architectural applications

Synthetic microfibres released during textile drying are considered an emerging source of microplastic pollution, yet this waste stream is generally discarded without treatment. This study investigates a valorisation route by incorporating waste dryer-filter microfibres into a potassium-based/metakaolin geopolymeric coating for architectural applications, with the dual objective of preventing environmental release and enhancing material performance. Geopolymer pastes containing 0.1–0.3 wt.% of synthetic microfibres were characterised in terms of physical, mechanical and microstructural behaviour. Microfibre addition produced a marked toughening effect, with flexural strength increasing from about 3 MPa for the unreinforced matrix to 7.5 MPa for the composite containing 0.3 wt.% fibres, while compressive strength decreased moderately due to the presence of a compliant fibrous phase. Microstructural observations confirmed fibre dispersion and fibre–matrix bonding, supporting crack-bridging mechanisms. Density, porosity and water absorption measurements indicated a stable geopolymer gel structure with a connected pore network. Thin-layer applications onto clay brick exhibited satisfactory workability and adhesion, confirmed by pull-off testing (~0.12 MPa) and interfacial microscopy. The results demonstrate that textile-derived microfibres can be effectively immobilised within a potassium geopolymer matrix while improving flexural performance, offering a feasible circular strategy for microfibre waste reuse in mineral coatings.