{
  "abstract": "This study examines the effects of natural ageing on thickness, flexibility, elongation, and thermal resistance of neoprene used in wetsuits. A natural ageing protocol was developed to simulate recreational diving conditions under controlled exposure. Thirty-three neoprene specimens representing 11 material types and three thickness categories were repeatedly immersed in seawater at 15 m depth for 45 min per cycle. Fifty immersion, cleaning, and drying cycles were performed, corresponding to 37.5 h of underwater exposure. Thickness decreased in the majority of samples (p = 0.00043; Cohen’s d = 0.64), while pre- and post-ageing values remained very strongly correlated (r = 0.9987). Flexibility decreased significantly (p = 0.000084; Cohen’s d = −0.74). Thermal resistance declined significantly (p = 0.00029; Cohen’s d = 0.66), with greater losses observed in high-performance neoprene. Elongation showed the greatest ageing-related change, decreasing by approximately 25% (p < 0.000001; Cohen’s d = 1.32). Thermal resistance was strongly associated with neoprene thickness, whereas thermal-resistance loss was not correlated with thickness reduction (r = −0.085). Overall, natural ageing affected dimensional, mechanical, and thermal properties through multiple degradation processes, highlighting the importance of long-term performance stability in neoprene material selection and wetsuit design.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "University of Zagreb Faculty of Textile Technology, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 2,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Vesna Marija Potočić Matković",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2907-7306"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ivana Salopek Čubrić",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4295-5190"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/62zqb01rhegrk.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/polym18202600",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13709272",
  "id": "62zqb01rhegrk",
  "issns": [
    "2073-4360"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/20/2600",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2507|Textile materials and evaluations"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223187331",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13709272?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13709272",
  "pmid": "42942721",
  "published": "2026-10-21",
  "publisher": "MDPI AG",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/62zqb01rhegrk.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:44Z",
      "native_id": "10.3390/polym18202600",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/20/2600"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:22:12Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42942721",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42942721"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:2507|Textile materials and evaluations",
      "subfield": "materials-polymers"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Effects of Natural Ageing on the Dimensional, Mechanical, and Thermal Properties of Diving Neoprene",
  "title_text": "Effects of Natural Ageing on the Dimensional, Mechanical, and Thermal Properties of Diving Neoprene",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:22:12Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/62zqb01rhegrk",
  "venue": "Polymers",
  "versions": []
}