On the hydrolytic stability of polyester yarns

The relationships between strength, molecular weight and the rate of hydrolytic attack are determined for two polyester fibres which differ in their carboxyl end group concentration. Chemical and physical tests are described briefly and predictions are made of the rates of hydrolysis at ambient and other temperatures. It is concluded that the fibres are suitable for use in environments likely to be found in civil engineering applications, when lifetimes of many hundreds of years can be expected at ambient temperature.