Factors that influence disintegration of PFD cover fabrics

✍ Scribed by K. K. Leonas; H. H. Epps

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 497 KB
• Volume: 59
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-8995
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4628(19960131)59:5<775::aid-app3>3.0.co;2-t

✦ Synopsis

Six fabrics used as the cover component of personal floatation devices (PFDs) were evaluated during exposure to laboratory-simulated accelerated weathering. Factors that influence the disintegration were examined including fiber type, coloring agents, water type, and length of exposure. Disintegration was determined by monitoring changes in physical properties. Fabrics of similar fibers, yarn construction, and fabric construction but of different colors had significantly different disintegration rates. The fabrics that were neon-colored degraded significantly faster than did two of the non-neon-colored fabrics in the study. The white fabric degraded the most rapidly. Various water types including simulated sea water, lake water, and deionized water resulted in no significant differences in the disintegration rate of the fabrics.