Weathering resistance of an unstabilised polypropylene geotextile

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Polymers degrade when exposed to ultraviolet radiation and other weathering agents. In this work, the weathering resistance of a polypropylene geotextile is evaluated. The geotextile, which had a mass per unit area of 500 g/m², was manufactured without chemical additives (i.e., 100% polypropylene) for research purposes. The geotextile was exposed to natural weathering in Portugal for a maximum period of 24 months. Samples were collected every 3 months for characterisation. The degradation suffered by the geotextile was evaluated by monitoring changes in its physical (mass per unit area and thickness) and mechanical (tensile) properties. Infrared spectroscopy was used to detect chemical changes in the geotextile. The resistance of the geotextile under natural degradation conditions was compared with its resistance under accelerated degradation conditions. To this end, artificial weathering tests were carried out in a laboratory weatherometer, where the geotextile was exposed to ultraviolet radiation, water spray and condensation. The weathering tests (both in the field and in the laboratory) induced very pronounced changes in the properties of the geotextile, which was completed destroyed. The reduction in tensile strength that occurred in 18 to 21 months in the field (>90%) was replicated in 10 days in the laboratory weatherometer. Infrared spectroscopy proved to be a useful technique to assess the photo-degradation of field weathered polypropylene geotextiles. Artificial weathering tests have shown their usefulness as screening tests, being a good tool to detect polypropylene geotextiles with low resistance to weathering. The use of unstabilised or poorly-stabilised geotextiles is not recommended.

9th International Congress on Environmental Geotechnics (ICEG2023)

Geosynthetics for the Geoenvironment