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This work aims to present the results of evaluating the coloristic properties of polylactic acid (PLA) fibers. PLA is common nowadays in much research, as it is a biodegradable plastic from renewable sources. However, little research is devoted to PLA fibers, and even less to applied research of colored fibers. The prepared color masterbatches, created using inorganic pigments, such as titanium dioxide and carbon black, were subsequently used to prepare dyed PLA fibers in mass. The fibers were drawn to the maximum drawn ratio. The properties of the pure and dyed fibers were investigated before and after accelerated light aging using Q-SUN equipment. The changes were recorded by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and colorimetric properties were recorded using a device spectrometer from TECHKON SpectroDens. We also evaluated thermal properties from the first heating via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The measurements were taken before and after the aging of the PLA fibers, in order to see the effect of aging on the supermolecular structure, excluding the influence of the preparation process and the influence of the kind of PLA. Using inorganic pigments showed sufficient color stability even after accelerated light aging, which is beneficial for using colored fibers in practice.

The aim of this paper is to present the influence of the modification of polypropylene (PP) fibers on the sorption capabilities of the fibers. The physical modification of the PP fibers was made with inorganic nanoadditives in the mass, with a view to improving the properties of silicate composites used in the construction industry. The compositions of the modified PP fibers using two different nanoadditives were based on previous work, as well as the work presented in this paper. The prepared modified PP fibers were compared with pure PP fibers, and their mechanical and thermomechanical properties were evaluated. Another task of this work was to evaluate and compare the sorption capabilities of these fibers without the preparation of concrete blocks. Therefore, the Washburn method was used. However, the obtained results led us to the conclusion that the given method points to the excellent transport properties of PP fibers if such properties are used to evaluate the sorption of the fibers. However, the sorption of the prepared modified fibers could be associated with the nanoadditives used, which have a higher water sorption capacity compared to pure PP fibers, and this could also ensure the higher adhesion of the modified PP fibers with inorganic additives to the cement matrix compared to the adhesion of the hydrophobic PP fibers.

A special photoluminescent inorganic pigment was used as a tool to protect polypropylene (PP) fibre originality. The effect of pigment content and uniaxial deformation on the supermolecular structure and basic mechanical properties of PP fibres modified with the above-mentioned pigment were investigated, together with its colour performance under a UV lamp. Supermolecular structure parameters, such as birefringence, sound velocity in fibres, crystallinity and the crystallinity index of undrawn and drawn modified PP fibres prepared using a discontinuous technological process, were studied. Mechanical properties such as fi neness, Young’s modulus, tenacity at break and elongation at break of undrawn and drawn modified fibres were evaluated. The obtained experimental results of modified PP fibres were compared with the supermolecular structure and mechanical characteristics of standard unmodified PP fibres prepared under same technological conditions.

Asia’s current dominance of the global production of standard types of chemical fibres requires the sophistication of European fibre and textile products. Modifying the mass or surface of materials using nanotechnologies is one of the most promising ways to ensure the special, mono- and multi-functionally modified fibre properties of clothing and technical textiles. The permanent antimicrobial treatment of fibre mass represents one the most desired functional modifi cations of chemical fibres. It involves the use of an antimicrobial additive masterbatch with the appropriate rheological, colour and processing properties required for the preparation of antimicrobial modified fibres. This article presents the results of our study of the effect of two types of nanoadditives (nanosilica and nanocalcium carbonate) as potential carriers of an AMB active ingredient, and the effect of stearic acid, polyethylene glycol and propylene oxide as various dispersing systems on the rheological, colour and processing properties of polypropylene nanoadditive masterbatches. The obtained experimental results are evaluated in terms of the suitability of the properties of prepared nanoadditive masterbatches for the preparation of nanocomposite polypropylene fibres.