Degradation study of polyester fiber in swimming pool water

Abstract

The disinfection of swimming pool water is vital to maintain water quality. The chemicals used in this practice can damage the fabrics of bathing suits and shorten the shelf life of the textile substrate. The degradation of polyester, a polymer that is widely used in bathing suits for swimming pools, was investigated. For this, a 23 factorial design was employed for the experimental methodology. The effect of several variables was analyzed in a simulated swimming pool batch, such as textile-exposure time, concentration of the used disinfection product, and batch temperature. The response variables were enthalpy of fusion ΔHm, melting temperature and crystallinity (obtained by differential scanning calorimetry), percentage of weight loss, temperature of maximum rate of weight loss, onset temperature and endset temperature (measured through thermogravimetric analysis), and Young's modulus values (measured in strain-stress tests in the row and column directions). The factors of temperature, time, and the concentration of disinfectant were significant for melting temperature, crystallinity, onset temperature, and Young's modulus for columns. The analyses of variance were obtained using software Design-Expert DX7. Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed changes in band intensities at 695 cm−1, which were attributed to ester groups, as well as a decrease of the carbonyl band at 1712 cm−1, which was attributed to the hydrolysis of the material. Analysis through scanning electronic microscopy images showed the appearance of stretch marks in the constituent filaments of the tested textiles, which suggests a surface degradation occurred.

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

“…Additional analysis of a large set of microscopic images taken on different segments of the aged materials revealed that the surface deterioration is more pronounced after outdoor aging, i.e., after additional exposure to direct sunlight. This result is in agreement with the results attributed to photodegradation by Nguyen-Tri [ 5 ] and chemicals used for disinfecting by Cianek [ 11 ], which also showed surface damage to PET fibers. The observed fibrillation on the material surface is expected to have a negative impact on the tactile comfort of the material and to facilitate the pilling.…”

“…FTIR analysis showed that the reactions that take place during the degradation process involve the breaking of the polymer chains. Morphological analysis of SEM has shown a decrease in the average diameter of PET samples [ 11 ]. In addition to PA and PET, the third polymer fiber used in swimsuits is polyurethane elastane fiber (Spandex), which is used for its stretchability.…”

Effects of Machine Washing on the Chromatography Parameters of Polyester Fiber Gel Permeation

“…Figure S2A–D shows the typical examples of white and red shirts (C-1; C-7). Cionek et al observed stretch marks and grooves in the longitudinal view for disinfectant-treated PET fabrics . Sorensen et al observed holes and pitting on the surface of UV-degraded PET fibers .…”

“…However, polyesters can be degraded under aqueous conditions . Many studies have been conducted on changes in fabrics and fibers; notably, alkaline conditions, , ultraviolet light, thermal treatment, and disinfectants are harmful to polyesters. Considering real crime situations, fiber specimens found in crime scenes are not necessarily fibers removed from unused or new fabrics but particularly from used fabrics.…”

Carbon footprint and water footprint assessment of virgin and recycled polyester textiles

“…Approximately 30–50 litres of fresh water are required for dyeing a kilogram of polyester textile. 4–6 Owing to our dependence on polyester textiles for coordination with the latest fashions, there is no doubt that a series of severe environmental problems would result from the production of polyester textiles as well as their waste treatment. 7–10…”