Improving the hydrophobicity/oleophobicity of polyethylene terephthalate fibrous materials using electron beam‐induced graft polymerization with 2‐(perfluorohexyl)ethyl acrylate monomer and alkyl acrylate monomer

Abstract

AbstractBetter hydrophobic/oleophobic properties and durability were added to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabrics using graft polymerization induced by pre‐ and simultaneous electron beam (EB) irradiation. 2‐(Perfluorohexyl) ethyl acrylate (FEA), butyl acrylate (BA(C4)), dodecyl acrylate (DA(C12)), and stearyl acrylate (SA(C18)) with different alkyl chain lengths were used as vinyl monomers that can react with the radicals generated by EB irradiation. For the pre‐irradiation method, the changes in weight gain were negligible. While irradiating the monomer solution and the PET fabric simultaneously, a weight gain of approximately 3%–5% was observed. Contact angle measurements confirmed, hydrophobicity/oleophobicity in the PET fabric graft polymerized with FEA and SA(C18) monomers using the simultaneous irradiation method. The addition of the alkyl acrylate monomer increased the dodecane contact angle in the order of FEA < FEA/BA(C4) < FEA/DA(C12) < FEA/SA(C18). XPS analysis showed that the surface fluorine concentrations of PET fabrics with FEA and FEA/SA(C18) monomers were 18.3% and 38.9%, respectively. The contact angle and surface fluorine concentration after rubbing decreased, but the change was small when SA(C18) monomer was added to the FEA monomer. These results indicate that the hydrophobic/oleophobic properties and durability can be improved by EB graft polymerization in combination with FEA and SA(C18) monomers.