Ultraviolet resistant/antiwrinkle finishing of cotton fabrics by sol‐gel method

Nano titanium dioxide (TiO₂) sols were prepared by sol‐gel method with tetrabutyl orthotitanate (TBOT) as precursors, citric acid (CA) as inhibitors. Ultraviolet resistant capacity of finished cotton fabrics are greatly improved with good wrinkle‐resistance, whiteness and tensile strength as well. The optimum molar ratio for preparing nano‐TiO₂ sols in this study is n[C₂H₅OH] : n[H₂O] : n[CA] : n[HCl] : n[TOBT] = 20 : 6 : 1.2 : 0.025 : 1, at ambient temperature. Particle size distribution analysis of the sol reveals that the curve is right tailed with an average diameter of 72.8 nm. Factors affecting the performance of finished cotton fabrics by TiO₂ sols, such as concentration of sodium hypophosphite (SHP), triethanolamine (TEA) in finishing bath, curing temperatures and time lengths were investigated by orthogonal experiments. The optimum finishing results can be obtained with 3% SHP, 3% TEA, curing at 165°C for 3 min. Aggregated nano‐TiO₂ particles on surfaces of finished cotton fibers both washed and unwashed were investigated by high resolution cold field emission scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X‐ray spectrometer. Esterification crosslinking between CA and cotton fibers were also demonstrated through infrared spectra. After a five‐time's wash, ultraviolet protection factor of finished cotton fabrics with nano‐TiO₂ sols is up to 117.42 and dry crease recovery angles increase by 30.2° with slightly improved whiteness, while the breaking strength decreases by 18.8%. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Effects of a pretreatment with N‐methylmorpholine‐N‐oxide on the structures and properties of ramie

To improve the dyeing properties of ramie, the ecofriendly organic solvent N‐methylmorpholine‐N‐oxide (NMMO) was used to substitute sodium hydroxide as a ramie‐fiber swelling solvent. Through padding and baking pretreatment, ramie fabric was modified by an NMMO aqueous solution. Ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry were used to investigate the effects of NMMO pretreatment on the structure of the ramie, whereas the color strength (K/S, where K is the light absorption coefficient and S is the scattering coefficient), adsorption isotherm, and dye uptake rate curve were measured to investigate the effects of NMMO pretreatment on the dyeing properties of the ramie. The results show that the ramie fiber experienced a limited and irreversible swelling because of the partial breakage of interhydrogen and intrahydrogen bonds of cellulose molecules in the amorphous area, but the crystal and chemical structure of the ramie fiber did not change obviously under the experimental conditions. The K/S value of the NMMO‐modified ramie fabrics dyed with reactive dyes increased by about 100%, and the dye uptake increased by 27.88% compared to that of the raw sample, whereas the standard affinity and diffusion coefficient value of the reactive dyes on the NMMO‐modified ramie fabric were higher than those of the raw ramie fabric. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Alkali reduction and reactive dye dyeing of T/N nonwoven fabrics dipped into silicon‐containing,water‐borne polyurethane

Two series of anionic water‐borne polyurethanes with alkali resistance and covalent bonds of a reactive dye were synthesized with different molar ratios of poly(tetramethylene glycol) (PTMG). They were classified with respect to PTMG 1000 and PTMG 2000. The fiber blends of polyester/nylon nonwoven fabrics were dipped into silicon‐containing, water‐borne polyurethane and squeezed to an 80% pickup ratio. Finally, the manmade leather was treated with alkali reduction and dyed with a reactive dye. The alkali reduction and the thermal, mechanical, and dyeing properties of the manmade leather were studied. For alkali reduction, different ratios of NaOH and Na₂CO₃ concentrations were used. Na₂CO₃ was used because of its better spreading and buffering properties. The softness and breaking load were measured and related to the weight reduction. For the dyeing properties, a reactive dye with vinyl sulfone groups was found to bond with the OH group of water‐borne polyurethane by covalent bonding. On the basis of alkali reduction, a mixture of NaOH and Na₂CO₃ with a concentration ratio of 0.1N/0.2N could lead to better softness and alkali reduction of leather. For the mechanical properties, leather of the PTMG 1000 series showed a higher breaking load than leather of the PTMG 2000 series. However, less elongation in the PTMG 1000 series resulted. Differential scanning calorimetry showed an endothermic peak at 50–100°C. This indicated that the glass‐transition temperature of the hard segment decreased with an increasing amount of the soft segment in leather; meanwhile, both the glass‐transition temperature of the soft segment and the melting temperature of the hard segment also decreased as the content of the soft segment increased. For the dyeing properties, the reactive blue dye could reach up to 96.1% dye uptake in the polyurethane part of the leather. Moreover, the washing fastness could be graded as high as 4–5, and the light resistance was also graded to 4–5, in the dyed leather. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 2324–2335, 2005     

Modification of cellulose fiber with silk sericin

Cellulose fiber surface was modified with silk sericin (or simply, sericin). Sericin fixation on cellulose was confirmed by environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry–attenuated total reflectance (FTIR‐ATR). Sericin content in finished samples was estimated by dyeing treated fabrics with an acid dye, Supranol Bordeaux B, and determining K/S and L values of the dyed fabrics. The treated fabrics were tested for free formaldehyde content, crease recovery, tensile strength, electrical resistance, water retention, and biocidal activity. From ESEM and FTIR‐ATR results, it was found that sericin coated onto cotton surfaces as a film. Increasing sericin content in the finishing solution increased the amount of coated sericin, and a greater depth of color in dyed samples and reduced free formaldehyde content in treated samples were observed. The sericin content in samples was found to have a negligible influence on tensile strength and crease recovery angle. With increasing sericin content, electrical resistivity of the samples dramatically decreased and water retention increased, indicating that sericin‐treated fabrics may be comfortable to wear because of its maintenance of moisture balance with respect to human skin. Because cotton textile coated with sericin exhibited low formaldehyde content and no biocidal activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus, the fabric may reduce skin irritation and disturbance of physiological skin flora arising from textile contact. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 1421–1428, 2005     

Antimicrobial activity of some new 4‐arylazo‐3‐methylthiophene disperse dyes on polyester fabrics

A series of novel 4‐arylazo‐3‐methylthiophenes was synthesized by the heterocyclization of 2‐arylhydrazono‐2‐acetyl thioacetanilide derivatives with a variety of α‐halogenated reagents, such as chloroacetone, phenacyl bromide, ethyl chloroacetate, and chloroacetonitrile. The structures of the synthesized thiophene derivatives were confirmed by ultraviolet–visible, IR, and ¹H‐NMR spectroscopic techniques and elemental analysis. The synthesized dyes were applied to polyester fabrics as disperse dyes, and their fastness properties were evaluated. The dyed polyester fabrics displayed antibacterial efficacy against Gram‐positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram‐negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Preparation of fluorescent pigment latex and its application on binder‐free printing of cotton fabrics

The recognized disadvantages of pigment printing are the stiff hand feel owing to the large particle size of the binder and pigments and the crosslinked binder introducing rigidity. In the current study, fluorescent pigment latex (FPL) was prepared via mini‐emulsion polymerization and further applied on cotton fabric printing in the absence of binder. The mini‐emulsions were prepared by dispersing the fluorescein in the monomers methyl methacrylate (MMA) and butyl acrylate (BA) with DNS‐86 as emulsifier, hexadecane as co‐emulsifier, and ammonium persulfate as initiator. The Fourier‐transform infrared‐attenuated total refraction, transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis showed that the fluorescein was successfully encapsulated into P(MMA‐co‐BA) and the polymer content was 91.22%. The surface morphology study revealed that compact and smooth film was formed onto the surface of FPL printings, which resulted in better hand feel and rubbing fastness as compared to the conventional printings with a large amount of binder. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 45826.     

Investigation of the rheological behavior of titanium dioxide pigmented acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene polymer

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) pigments may be surface‐modified by hydrous oxides, such as alumina (e.g., Cristal 134) or by organic compounds, such as organophosphate (e.g., Tiona 188). In this investigation, the effects of these pigments on the rheological properties of acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) polymer were investigated. With the oscillatory rheometry method in the linear viscoelastic region, the storage and loss moduli versus frequency graph of ABS in the molten state showed two crossover points (COPs) when the surface of the ABS components, that is, poly(styrene‐stat‐acrylonitrile) and poly[(styrene‐stat‐acrylonitrile)‐graft‐polybutadiene] or g‐ABS, had good interaction. The first COPs increased when the TiO₂ content rose to 0.5 and 1.5% in Tiona 188 and Cristal 134 pigmented ABS samples, respectively. With the addition of TiO₂ up to these contents, the polymer–pigment interaction becomes stronger so that the dispersion of the pigments was good. With increasing TiO₂, the first COPs dramatically decreased because of agglomeration of the pigments. The shifting of the first COP may be applied as a criterion to specify the dispersion of TiO₂ particles in the ABS matrix. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the pigments had no effect on the size of the polybutadiene particles. Also, transmission electron micrographs proved that agglomerates of Tiona 188 and Cristal 134 particles were formed above 0.5 and 1.5% TiO₂ contents, respectively. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

The influence of carbon black batches on the fracture behavior of glass fiber reinforced PA6/PA66 blends

The toughness behavior of 30 wt % glass fiber reinforced PA6/PA66 blends colored with different masterbatches containing carbon black (CB) was characterized by the instrumented Charpy impact test. Two different CB types with different particle diameters as well as two different polymers, PE and PA6, were used to prepare the masterbatches. The CB concentration was varied from 0 to 1.2 wt % in the compounds and all materials were examined dry and after water absorption. The toughness of the compounds significantly decreased when CB was incorporated. Moisture conditioning of the materials led to increased toughness and ductility but did not compensate for the negative influence of CB. Using PE as a masterbatch polymer succeeded in limiting the influence of CB on toughness whereas the largest particle diameter led to the highest reduction in toughness. By taking into account crack resistance curves, it could be shown that there is a significant change in crack propagation behavior when the concentration of the larger particle CB exceeds a certain level; this was ascribed to the existence of complex CB structures at this concentration. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Telechelic PEG-polymers end-capped with chromophores: Using as cationic reactive dyes and salt-free dyeing properties on cotton fabrics

In this article, telechelic polymers containing polyethylene glycol (PEG) moieties as space groups were combined with chromophores to synthesize cationic reactive dyes (BCD-R, BCD-Y, and BCD-B). The salt-free dyeing performance of these telechelic polymeric cationic reactive dyes on cotton fabrics was evaluated. The exhaustion and fixation of the dyes in salt-free dyeing was above 89.33 and 77.22%, respectively. The color fastness of dry rubbing for the three dyes reached grade 4–5, and their color fastness to light reached grade 5–6. Their washing fastness also reached grade 4–5, except for that of BCD-Y (grade 3–4). The results showed that the dyes possessed good leveling and build-up properties and substantivity to cellulose fiber. The zeta potential (ξ-potential) of dyed fabric was estimated, and it was found that the ξ-potential of the fabrics increased after dying with telechelic polymeric cationic reactive dyes, and the more dye that was used, the greater ξ-potential increase. The exhaustion curves of dyes were also determined, and they were much different from those of anionic reactive dyes. The adsorption kinetics and isotherms of BCD-R were investigated. It was found that the pseudo-second-order kinetic model gave the best fit of the experimental data at all three tested dyeing temperatures (25, 45, and 65°C) with R² values over 0.998. Both the Langmuir and Freundlich models could be used to describe the adsorption of BCD-R onto cellulose fibers and the Langmuir model fit the experimental data better than the Freundlich model. The thermodynamic parameters (ΔG, ΔS, ΔH, and activation energy) of the dye adsorption process were researched further. The results indicated that the adsorption of BCD-R onto cotton fibers was spontaneous and exothermic and that after adsorption onto the cotton fibers, the degree of freedom of the dye decreased.     

Effect of the particle size of finishing chemicals on the color assessment of treated cotton fabrics

Color change is one of the important side effects of textile treatments to consider. This article evaluates the effect of the particle size of commonly used finishing chemicals (fluorocarbon resins and dimethyloldihydroxylethylene urea reagents) on color assessment by studying instrumental analyses, and it is reported that the smaller the particle size is, the higher the surface reflectance is, and the less the color change can be achieved. On the other hand, the effect of the particle size is not significant on color assessment after abrading cycles. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007     

Influence of chitosan posttreatment parameters on the fixation of pigment‐based inks on ink‐jet‐printed cotton fabrics

Cotton fabrics were digitally printed with pigment‐based black ink with an HP Desk‐Jet 880C printer. These ink‐jet‐printed fabrics were posttreated with chitosan samples for the fixation of the pigment‐based ink on the cotton. The influence of various parameters, including the molecular weight (MW), application method (pad–dry–cure vs pad–batch), concentration, and pH, on the degree of fixation (DF) of the pigment‐based inks was examined. The chitosan‐posttreated cotton samples were evaluated for their color strength, DF, color difference, and whiteness index values and their colorfastness properties. Chitosan samples with MWs of 150,000 and greater than 375,000 showed 100% (complete) fixation of the pigment‐based inks on the cotton fabrics. DF drastically decreased in the chitosan with an MW of less than 5000. Both the pad–dry–cure and pad–batch methods were found to be suitable for chitosan application onto ink‐jet‐printed fabrics. Chitosan with an MW of 150,000 showed 100% fixation at concentrations ranging from 0.3 to 1%. A further decrease in the concentration significantly decreased the fixation. High fixation values were achieved at acidic pH, whereas a neutral to alkaline pH resulted in poor fixation. The colorfastness properties for each parameter studied are also discussed. The posttreatment of the digitally printed cotton with chitosan was found to be very effective in fixing the pigment‐based inks. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Ammonia/acetylene plasma deposition: An alternative approach to the dyeing of poly(ethylene terephthalate) fabrics at low temperatures

It has long been recognized that dyes other than disperse dyes would play a much larger industrial role if they could be applied to poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fabrics at low temperatures. This research is related to a new process for the dyeing of hydrophobic PET with hydrophilic acid dyestuffs. The process is based on low‐pressure plasma polymerization using an ammonia/acetylene gaseous mixture, which provides a nanoporous plasma coating containing accessible amine groups. Surface functionalization and crosslinking have been analyzed with X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The color strength (absorption coefficient/scattering coefficient) of dyed PET is evidently improved by the attachment of dye molecules to the plasma polymer coating. The dyeability strongly depends on the plasma exposure time, gaseous mixture, and energy input. The permanency of the bond between the dye molecules and the plasma film can be characterized as the fastness property of dyed PET. The stability of the plasma coating has been examined with an abrasion and pilling tester. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Effect of ozone and ultrasound on the fiber properties of angora rabbit

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of novel treatment techniques (ozone and ultrasound) on the dyeability of Angora rabbit fiber. For this purpose, the effects of the ozonation time and fiber moisture during ozonation on the dyeing properties of Angora rabbit fiber were researched. Also, dyeing was performed conventionally and with the use of ultrasound techniques after ozonation; these were compared in terms of the color yields. Consequently, it was found that the ozonation process and dyeing with power ultrasound improved the dyeability of Angora rabbit fiber significantly. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Preparation and characterization study on maleic acid cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol)/chitin/nanocellulose composites

In the quest on improving composite formulations for environmental sustainability, maleic acid (MA) cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-α-chitin composites reinforced by oil palm empty fruit bunch fibers (OPEFB)-derived nanocellulose crystals (NCC) had been successfully prepared. Based on the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis, it was proven that molecular interactions of the cross-linker to the polymeric networks was through conjugated ester linkage. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that the influence of MA was minimal toward crystallization in the PVA/chitin/NCC composite. Maximum tensile strength, elongation at break and Young's modulus of the respective PVA/chitin/NCC composites were achieved at different content of MA, dependent on the PVA/chitin mass ratio. Among all compositions, a maximum Young's modulus was achieved at 30 wt% MA loading in PVA/chitin-30/NCC, amounting to 2,413.81 ± 167.36 MPa. Moreover, the mechanical properties and selected physicochemical properties (swelling, gel content, and contact angle) of the PVA/chitin/NCC composites could be tailored by varying the chitin content (10–30 wt%) and MA content (10–50 wt% based on total mass of composite). In brief, this chemically cross-linked PVA-based biocomposites formulated with sustainable resources exhibited tunable physicochemical and mechanical properties.     

Synthetic polymeric absorbent for dye based on chemically crosslinked acrylamide/mesaconic acid hydrogels

Adsorption properties of copolymers of acrylamide and mesaconic acid (CAME) in aqueous Basic Blue 12 (Nile blue chloride) solution have been investigated. Chemically crosslinked CAME hydrogels with various compositions were prepared from ternary mixtures of acrylamide (A), mesaconic(ME) acid, and water by free radical polymerization in aqueous solution, using a multifunctional crosslinker such as ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA). Dynamic swelling tests in water was applied to the hydrogels. Weight swelling ratio (S) values have been calculated. Sorption of Basic Blue 12 (BB 12) onto CAME hydrogels was studied by batch sorption technique at 25°C. In the experiments of the sorption, L type sorption in the Giles classification system was found. Some binding parameters such as initial binding constant (K_i), equilibrium constant (K), monolayer coverage (n), site‐size (u), and maximum fractional occupancy (Ô) for CAME hydrogels‐BB 12 binding system were calculated by using Klotz, Scatchard, and Langmuir linearization methods. Finally, the amount of sorbed BB 12 per gram of dry hydrogel (q) was calculated to be 2.28 × 10^?6–7.91× 10^?6 mol BB 12 per gram for hydrogels. Sorption % was changed range 16.09–58.86%. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 405–413, 2006     

Influence of particle surface properties on film formation from precipitated calcium carbonate/latex blends

The surface properties of films prepared from a blend of precipitated calcium carbonate pigment (PCC) and poly(n‐butyl methacrylate‐co‐n‐butyl acrylate) [P(BMA/BA); T_g = 0°C] latex were investigated in terms of the surface characteristics of the PCC and P(BMA/BA) latex particles. It was found that the presence of carboxyl groups on the P(BMA/BA) latex particles significantly improved the uniformity of the distribution of the PCC particles within the P(BMA/BA) copolymer matrix and the gloss of the resulting films. This phenomenon could be explained by an acid‐base reaction between the PCC particles and the carboxylated P(BMA/BA) latex particles. Studies on the influence of the composition of PCC/P(BMA/BA) latex blends on the gloss and transparency of the films were also performed, which led to the determination of the critical pigment volume concentration (CPVC) of this system, which was found to be 42 vol %. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 891–900, 2002     

Effect of the grain size of nanoparticle dye‐coated titanium dioxide on the short‐circuit current density and open‐circuit voltage of an indium tin oxide/titanium dioxide/poly(acrylonitrile)–propylene carbonate–lithium perchlorate/graphite solar cell

A dye‐sensitized indium tin oxide (ITO)/titanium dioxide (TiO₂)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN)–propylene carbonate (PC)–lithium perchlorate (LiClO₄)/graphite solar cell was fabricated, and its performance was tested in the dark and under the illumination of a 100 mW/cm² light. Three TiO₂ samples were used in the device, namely, uncoated TiO₂, a TiO₂ film coated with methyl red dye, and a TiO₂ film coated with coumarin dye. The films were deposited onto an ITO‐covered glass substrate by a controlled hydrolysis technique assisted with a spin‐coating technique. The films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy to determine their average grain size. The smallest grain size (48 nm) was obtained for the uncoated film. An electrolyte of PAN–LiClO₄ with PC plasticizer was prepared by a solution‐casting technique. A graphite electrode was prepared on a glass slide by an electron‐beam evaporation technique. The device showed rectification properties in the dark and showed a photovoltaic effect under illumination. The device with the uncoated TiO₂ film showed the highest short‐circuit current density (2.0 μA/cm²) and an open‐circuit voltage of 0.64 V because it possessed the smallest grain size. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Enhancement of CO2 Adsorption and CO2/N2 Selectivity on ZIF‐8 via Postsynthetic Modification

Imidazolate framework ZIF‐8 is modified via postsynthetic method using etheylenediamine to improve its adsorption performance toward CO₂. Results show that the BET surface area of the modified ZIF‐8 (ED‐ZIF‐8) increases by 39%, and its adsorption capacity of CO₂ per surface area is almost two times of that on ZIF‐8 at 298 K and 25 bar. H₂O uptake on the ED‐ZIF‐8 become obviously lower compared to the ZIF‐8. The ED‐ZIF‐8 selectivity for CO₂/N₂ adsorption gets significantly improved, and is up to 23 and 13.9 separately at 0.1 and 0.5 bar, being almost twice of those of the ZIF‐8. The isosteric heat of CO₂ adsorption (Q_st) on the ED‐ZIF‐8 becomes higher, while Q_st of N₂ gets slightly lower compared to those on the ZIF‐8 Furthermore, it suggests that the postsynthetic modification of the ZIF‐8 not only improves its adsorption capacity of CO₂ greatly, but also enhances its adsorption selectivity for CO₂/N₂/H₂O significantly. ©2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 2195–2206, 2013     

改进植物纤维/热塑性塑料复合材料界面相容性的技术进展

综述了国内外在改进天然植物纤维增强热塑性塑料复合材料界面相容性方面所做的研究工作及最新进展,分析了复合材料界面相容性的影响因素。目前改进界面相容性的方法主要包括:天然植物纤维的表面处理,如碱化和酯化预处理、接枝改性、浸润处理、表面物理加工;添加合适的界面改性剂(如界面相容剂、化学偶联剂、表面活性剂等);以及塑料基体改性等;其他因素对复合材料相容性也有影响。     

表面处理对TiO_2/PP复合材料界面的影响

采用硅烷偶联剂对TiO2 颗粒进行表面处理改性并与聚丙烯 (PP)共混填充。通过红外光谱分析和扫描电镜分析研究了表面处理对TiO2 /PP界面结合的改性效果 ,研究了表面处理对TiO2 /PP复合材料的流动性能的影响。研究结果表明 ,表面处理可以明显改善复合材料的流动性能、改善复合材料的界面结合效果