In this study, nylon 66 industrial fabrics (used in the conveyor belts) were exposed artificially to the accelerated ultraviolet rays and the degradation mechanism was evaluated using spectral, thermal, and morphological analyses. The fabric samples were exposed to six different exposure times in a UV chamber and tensile tests were carried out in the main and bias (45°) directions. The results showed that the shear modulus was reduced in the early stages covering 4 h of the UV radiation because of the linkages breakage and the increase in the amorphous regions. However, after this early stage, the shear modulus started to increase. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study were also performed to evaluate the surface morphology and the degradation mechanism of the nylon 66 fibers after UV illumination. The results also revealed that the formation of new links by free radicals caused the change in the bond wavelengths. Furthermore, it was found that there was an interesting mechanism for the UV degradation of nylon 66 fabrics at different exposure times, as confirmed by the results obtained regarding the mechanical properties of the samples. The results of this study can be, therefore, helpful for the industrial application of nylon 66 woven conveyor belts exposed to solar UV radiation.
UV radiation is the major source of radiation in environmental conditions and affects many characteristics of exposed fabrics. Physical properties of polymeric material and fabric deteriorate when exposed to environmental conditions. The study of the changes in physical properties has been a major issue for researchers. Color absorption of degraded fabrics varies with exposure time. The main aim of this work was to predict the physical properties of UV degraded woven fabrics at different levels of exposure time. Samples of plain-woven fabrics were selected. The fabric consisted of nylon 66 as weft yarns and polyester as warp yarns. A UV light source was used to induce controlled degradation at different exposure times. The samples were dyed in identical conditions and the color values for all samples were measured using a spectrophotometer. The samples were then tested with tensile testing machine and stress-strain curves were obtained. Six parameters were considered in stress-strain curves. Exposure time caused the differences in the color values of the samples. This was used to evaluate the tensile behavior. Regression and artificial neural network methods were used to correlate each of the six parameters of tensile properties with color values. To validate the methods, experimental samples were tested with the tensile testing machine and the results were compared with the predicted values. The results show a good agreement between the experimental and predicted models.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.