Performance of cotton fabric treated with an amino-terminated hyperbranched polymer

Abstract

An amino-terminated hyperbranched polymer (HBP-NH2), synthesized from methyl acrylate and diethylene tri-amine by polycondensation, was applied to treat cotton samples by a pad-dry-cure method. Physical properties, salt-free dye-ability, antimicrobial activity, and antiultraviolet property of the treated cotton samples were tested. The crystallinity and mechanical properties, including breaking strength, breaking elongation, and Young’s modulus of the treated cotton fibers, increased slightly in comparison with those of the untreated cotton fibers. The thermal stability and the moisture regain were also improved slightly. Dyed with direct dyes and reactive dyes in the absence of the electrolytes, the treated cotton fabric showed similar or higher color strength compared with the untreated cotton fabric in conventional dyeing. The treated cotton fabric can also be dyed with acid dyes effectively. In addition, the treated cotton fabric showed good antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). The study of the antiultraviolet properties of the treated cotton fabric indicated that the HBP-NH2 contributed to the reduction of UV transmission and the increase of UPF.