Study of the effect of UV aging on the mechanical properties of a geotextile based on polypropylene

Abstract

The main objective of this work is to study the effect of aging by UV radiation on the physical and mechanical properties of two types of polypropylene-based non-woven geotextiles. First, a study of the physical, mechanical characteristics was carried out, followed by an aging test by ultraviolet radiation as a function of time in order to evaluate their mechanical characteristics before and after aging using standard tests. The results obtained show that: the mechanical properties such as the tensile strength of a geotextile depend on its areal density and its thickness, so the resistance to static and pyramidal punching increases with increasing geotextile thickness. A significant loss in tensile properties (tensile strength and elongation at break) of about 50% for a time of exposure of geotextiles to UV radiation for 300 h. Finally, it can be concluded that polypropylene geotextiles are sensitive to ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, in order to increase the service life of a geotextile, it is necessary to avoid exposure to light during storage and processing, or to add a stabilizer