Behavior of Polymer Materials Exposed to Aging in the Swimming Pool: Focus on Properties That Assure Comfort and Durability

The degradation of polyamide (PA) and polyester (PES) polymers is under intense study due to growing concerns about the accumulation of plastics in soils and oceans. Previous studies confirm that ageing degrades PA and PES at the molecular level. However, researchers have not addressed the developme...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Polymers 2021-07, Vol.13 (15), p.2414
Main Authors: Salopek Čubrić, Ivana, Čubrić, Goran, Potočić Matković, Vesna Marija
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aging
Aging (materials)
Comfort
Durability
Exposure
Fibrillation
Heat resistance
Humidity
Mechanical properties
Microscopy
Oceans
Polyamide resins
Polymers
Spectrum analysis
Swimming pools
Swimwear
Tensile tests
Textiles
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Summary:The degradation of polyamide (PA) and polyester (PES) polymers is under intense study due to growing concerns about the accumulation of plastics in soils and oceans. Previous studies confirm that ageing degrades PA and PES at the molecular level. However, researchers have not addressed the development of protocols for aging textile materials in swimming pools, and few data are available on the effects of aging on comfort and durability. This research addresses the development of the aging protocol for PA and PES swimwear materials, its implementation, and the evaluation of properties that assure comfort and durability after specific periods of exposure. The tests include microscopic analysis, tensile tests, determination of fluid transport phases and drying period. The results revealed changes in the surface of the material in terms of fibrillation (more pronounced after outdoor aging). There is a positive correlation between the exposure duration and the breaking force (R2 ranges from 0.85 to 0.98), with a stronger correlation for the PA materials. The decrease in breaking force due to aging is up to 40%, indicating significantly reduced durability. The change in breaking force follows the changes in mass (R2 = 0.867). In terms of comfort assurance, outdoor aging of materials should have a greater negative impact than indoor ageing.
ISSN:2073-4360
2073-4360
DOI:10.3390/polym13152414