POLYMER

• The manner of cross-linking and the number of

• All geosynthetic products (except for the repeating units define a polymer.
natural products) are made of polymers (aka • There are about 50,000 commercially available
plastics). polymers.
• Bonds between polymer molecules are due to
19 •Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) van der Waals forces, permanent dipoles or
27 hydrogen bonds
19 •High-density polyethylene (HDPE) • Bonds between molecular chains are due to
cross-linking by covalent bonds
41
19 •Polyester (PET) and Expanded polystyrene (EPS)

50
19 •Linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE)

56 •Polypropylene (PP) • Based on cross-linking, polymers can either be:

1957
POLYMERS
• Greek ‘poly’ (many) + ‘meros’ (parts)
• Polymers have many parts joined through links
(polymerization)
• Monomer – each part or single unit.
• Increase in Molecular weight results in:
 Increased textile strength
 Increased impact strength
 Increased stress crack resistance
 Improved heat resistance
• Thermoplastics – can be repeatedly heated to
its softening point and made into desired
shapes and cooled to preserve the shape (EX.
PE, PET, PP)
• Thermoset- the process cannot be repeated,
where material will degrade upon reheating
(EX. Butyl, nitrile and EPDM)
• EXCEPT EPDM (ethylene propylene diene
monomer) GEOMEMBRANE, ALL OTHER GSYs
ARE THERMOPLASTICS.
Ingredients of Polymers
 Carbon Black or colorants
 Resin
 Stabilizer
 Antioxidants

POLYETHYLENE (PE) (C2H4)n – from ethylene gas

Sometimes, ‘Polythene’ – most common plastic
• EXCELLENT CHEMICAL RESISTANCE
• HDPE: Density > 0.940g/cm3
• MDPE: Density = 0.926-0.940g/cm3
• LDPE: Density =0.910-0.940g/cm3
• LLDPE: Density = 0.915-0.925g/cm3

Chemical drums, toys, picnic ware, household &

kitchenware, cable insulation, carrier bags, food
wrapping, squeeze bottles, gas & water pipes, etc.
Geosynthetics.

POLYPROPYLENE (PP) (C3H6)n – from propylene gas

• Simply known as ‘Polyolefins’ or ‘Olefins’
• GOOD CHEMICAL RESISTANCE
• GOOD FATIGUE RESISTANCE
• BETTER TEMPERATURE RESISTANCE THAN HDPE
 • LOWER DENSITY THAN HDPE
STYROFOAM – trademark by Dow Chemical Company
Buckets, bowls, crates, toys, medical components,
washing machine drums, battery cases, bottle caps. Building insulation, CD case, smoke detectors, trays,
Elastomer modified for bumpers, etc. OPP films for plates, bowls, fishing boxes, coffee cups, packaging, etc.
packaging (e.g. crisps, biscuits, etc.). Fibres for carpets, Geosynthetics.
sports clothing. Geosynthetics.
Summary:
POLYESTER (PET) – from Polyethylene terephthalate

 HIGH TENACITY AND E-MODULUS

 LOW WATER ABSORPTION
 MINIMAL SHRINKAGE
 EXCELLENT CHEMICAL ANS STRESS CRACK
RESISTANCE

Bottles, films, tarpaulin, fog lamps, wipers, egg trays,

lighting, circuit breakers, etc. Geosynthetics. OTHERS
Dr. Jean-Pierre Giroud
POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC) (C2H3Cl)n – from 57% Salt + Father of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS)
43% hydrocarbon feedstock (eg ethylene) and the geosynthetics discipline ‘
geotextile’ and ‘geomembrane’ in 1977
• HIGH HARDNESS & MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
• GOOD INSULATION
• LOW HEAT RESISTANCE
• LOW COST
• GOOD CHEMICAL ANS STRESS CRACK
RESISTANCE

Pipes & fittings, blood bags, electronics – cables, cars

(instrument panels, mouldings, interior doors, sun
visors, seat covers, credit cards, fashion & footwear,
etc.), and more. Geosynthetics

POLYAMIDE (PA) – from macromolecule with repeating

units joined by amide bonds
 Natural (wool or silk) or Artificial (nylons,
aramids and sodium poly or aspartate)
 RIGID
 OPAQUE
 HIGH STRENGTH
 EXCEPTIONAL THERMAL & ELECTRICAL
PROPERTIES
 HIGH COST

Automotive applications, textiles, carpets, sportswear,

etc. Geosynthetics.

POLYSTYRENE (PS) (C8H8)n– from monomer styrene

 Solid or Foamed
 CLEAR, HARD & BRITTLE
 LOW MELTING POINT
 LOW BIODEGRADABILITY
TYPES OF GEOSYNTHETICS

 Fabric type
GEOTEXTILE
 -One of the Largest group of Geosynthetics o Knitted
 -a textile in traditional sense, but consist of o Nonwoven
synthetics fiber rather than natural onces. o Woven
 Porous to liquid flow across their manufactured
plane.
FUNCTION:
 Separation, Reinforcement, Filtration and
drainage
GEOTEXTILES KNITTED GEOTEXTILES
A geotextile produced by interlooping one or more yarns,
 A planar, permeable, polymeric (synthetic or fibers, filaments or other elements.
natural) textile material, which may be
nonwoven, knitted or woven, used in
contact with soil/rock and/or any other
geotechnical material in civil engineering
applications (IGS, 2009)
 First application in 1966 to retain beach sand
behind a small retaining wall in Florida, USA
using woven monofilament PP fabric
 First conference in 1977 – Paris, France

Manufacturing of Geotextiles
3 points relevant as manufacturing is concerned.
 Polymer type
o Polypropylene, PP ≈ 95 %
o Polyester, PETE/PET ≈ 2%
o Polyethylene, PE ≈ 2 %
o Polyamide/nylon, PA≈1%

 Fiber/yarn type
o monofilament or multifilament
o staple fibers to staple yarn
o slit film monofilament or
multifilament
Advantages o Needle-punched
1.0 Lighter than woven GTs

2.0 Have exceptional tear strength by knitting in

additional materials

3.0 Immediate take up of strain

4.0 Composite system by knitting in fabric to the

elements

KNITTED GEOTEXTILES
• MSE Wall using knitted geotextile as soil
reinforcement.

o Resin-bonded

Advantages
1.0 High resistance to installation damage

2.0 High water permeability, and

3.0 Resistant to UV degradation and to biological &

chemical components normally found in soils

Non Woven Geotextile Manufacturing Process

The manufacturing of Non Woven Fabrics includes four
basic steps
Fiber Preparation
Web Formation
NONWOVEN GEOTEXTILES Web Bonding
A geotextile in the form of a manufactured sheet, web or Post treatment
batt of directionally- or randomly-oriented fibers,
filaments or other elements, mechanically and/or
thermally and/or chemically bonded.

o Heat-bonded

Diagram of the spun-bonding process of manufacture

geotextiles. Note that
bonding can be by needle-punching, heating-bonding, or
resin-bonding. (Compliments of INDA)
 2.0 Resistant to UV degradation and to biological &
chemical components normally found in soils.

MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Diagram of needle-punched process and details of typical

needles. (Compliments of INDA)

Warp vs Weft

Needling board (Koerner, 2011)

WOVEN GEOTEXTILES
A geotextile produced by interlacing, usually at right
angles, two or more sets of yarns, fibres, filaments, tapes
or other elements.
Warp = Yarns, filaments, or tapes running in the machine
direction of the weaving machine or loom.
Weft = Yarns, filaments, or tapes running at 90° to the
machine direction (cross-machine direction) of the
weaving machine or loom. Sometimes also called ‘Fill’

Advantages
1.0 High tensile strength