Degradation of Technora aramid fibres in alkaline and neutral environments

Technora fibres are high performance aramid fibres which have been used in ropes and protective clothing for many years. They are also now being proposed as geotextiles for soil reinforcement. However, there is a lack of experience on the long-term behaviour of Technora fibres in an alkaline environment (lime-treated ground.). Consequently, aging studies have been performed under different conditions (deionised water, pH9 and pH11). Hydrolytic degradation has been evaluated by FTIR, viscometry, TGA, density measurements, SEM, and by tensile measurements. Some chain degradation and finish rearrangements have been highlighted, but Technora fibres retain their mechanical properties for all the conditions considered here. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.