Effects of acrylate monomers containing alkyl groups on water and oil repellent treatments of polyester fabrics

Abstract

The finishing treatment of polyester fabric was achieved by commercially available fluorine-based water and oil repellent (AG-E092) with perfluoroalkyl groups (Rf groups) and acrylate monomers containing alkyl groups of different lengths using the electron beam pre-irradiation method. For comparison, AG-E092 treatment without acrylate monomer was conducted using the general pad-dry-cure method. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectrometry of the coating film of AG-E092 and acrylate monomer on a glass slide revealed that -CF3 groups appeared by adding stearyl acrylate monomer possessing an 18-carbon chain. From the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results of fabric treated with AG-E092 and stearyl acrylate monomer, the surface concentration of -CF3 derived from the Rf groups was the highest, which made the treated surface more hydrophobic and oleophobic. The contact angle between water and dodecane of treated fabrics increased to 129.4 degrees and 93.3 degrees, respectively, due to the addition of stearyl acrylate monomer. Furthermore, a durability test was performed and evaluated from a practical perspective. Although it was expected that electron beam irradiation would improve the durability, there was no difference depending on the electron beam irradiation conditions due to the influence of the binder originally added to AG-E092. The contact angle of dodecane after rubbing and washing of polyester fabrics was maintained by the addition of acrylate monomers. In particular, by adding this stearyl acrylate monomer, the change in F/C value and -CF3 groups on the surface was smaller than that observed using butyl acrylate monomer, which has a 4-carbon chain, by XPS analysis after rubbing. This result indicates that the mobility of Rf groups can be prevented by adding a long-chain alkyl group to a commercially available fluorine-based agent, and the durability can be improved through the simple addition of this long-chain monomer.