Study of interaction of water with advanced materials for swimming pool sportswear by NMR spectroscopy

Abstract During the 2009 FINA World Aquatics Championships high-tech swimsuits were used to add buoyancy, stability, speed and endurance. The design of a material must meet several requirements. In particular, it is of crucial importance the in-depth investigation of the chemical and physical characteristics of the material itself. Data relating to the mobility of water molecules adsorbed by polymer network is a key element in view of properties in understanding the material since they are related to inter-relationship between the fluid medium and macromolecules. In the present work, the water in interaction with the polymer network of fabrics for competition swimsuit has been studied by Time Domain NMR (TD NMR) in order to better understand the molecular motions of polymer chains and solvent molecules inside the structure. Commercial materials, consisting of polyamide and elastane in different ratios, have been examined by NMR relaxometry. Results showed the presence of several types of water, each one characterized by its mobility. Using qualitative and quantitative analyses of NMR, data have been evaluated on the mechanical characteristics of the examined materials. The developed methodology in this paper is a general approach that opens up new perspectives for the study of swim wear fabric.