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Changes in Mechanical Properties of Fabrics Made of Standard and Recycled Polyester Yarns Due to Aging

Polymers 2023 10 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 40 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Ines Katić Križmančić, Vesna Marija Potočić Matković, Ines Katić Križmančić, Ivana Salopek Čubrić, Ivana Salopek Čubrić, Ivana Salopek Čubrić, Ivana Salopek Čubrić, Goran Čubrić Goran Čubrić Vesna Marija Potočić Matković, Vesna Marija Potočić Matković, Goran Čubrić

Summary

This study compared how standard and recycled polyester fabrics age mechanically, finding that recycled polyester performs comparably to virgin polyester without developing additional surface cracking that could increase fiber shedding. Knowing whether recycled synthetic textiles shed more or fewer microplastic fibers during use and washing is important for evaluating the environmental trade-offs of textile recycling programs.

Over the years, the demands on the durability and quality of polyester fabrics used for sportswear have increased, as these fabrics contribute to athletes' performance. At the same time, the use of recycled polyester material is increasingly being promoted for environmental reasons. This study focused on investigating the properties of standard and recycled polyester fabrics before and after aging according to the developed aging protocol. The surface morphology, thickness, elongation at break, force at break, bursting force, mass loss due to abrasion and moisture management of the fabrics were tested. The results showed that the aging process had no influence on the surface changes in the fabrics. More specifically, there were neither surface cracks on the fibre surface nor chemical changes. The highest decrease in force at break for standard polyester fabrics with elastane was up to 26%, and up to 15% for fabrics made of recycled polyester. The loss of mass due to abrasion was greater for recycled polyester than for standard polyester fabrics. The average ability of the fabrics to absorb moisture decreased by up to 23% after aging, while the wetting time increased by up to 30%, with the highest increase observed in recycled fabrics.

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