Screen-printing of microfibrillated cellulose for an improved moisture management, strength and abrasion resistant properties of flame-resistant fabrics

Vanja Kokol,Vera Vivod,Polona Dobnik-Dubrovski,Taina Kamppuri,Zdenka Peršin

doi:10.1007/s10570-021-03915-6

Vanja Kokol, Vera Vivod + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-021-03915-6

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Abstract

Low moisture absorbency of hydrophobically coated flame-resistant (FR) fabrics do not correlate well with the thermophysiological comfort. In this frame, we were the first to study the effect of screen-printed microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) on fabric’s breathability and moisture build-up and transfer as user-friendly and wear-related comfortable coating. The amount of MFC applied and its patterning was varied using different printing parameters, the density and thickness of FR fabric, and studied by add-on measurement and microscopic imaging. The effect of MFC coating and its durability (attachment) after a post-printing of hydrophobic polyacrylate on the same (layer-by-layer) or other side of the fabrics was considered, thus to maintain one side of the fabric (facing towards the wearer) hydrophilic while keeping the other side (facing outward) hydrophobic. The results showed that MFC provides uniform and repeatable printing, which gave homogeneous patterning with good layering on the fabrics, although, resulting in the MFC concentration, squeegee’ pressure, and fabric’ structure dependent add-on, its imprinting and co-crosslinking within the polyacrylate. This slightly reduced the fabric air-permeability, but increased it surfaces wetting, moisture uptake kinetic and capacity (hydroscopicity), without affecting the water vapour transfer. Besides, the polyacrylate could fix the MFC pre-printed on the other side of the fabric, thus maintaining its hydrophilicity, being more pronounced in the case of less open and thicker fabric, while improving its tensile/tear strengths and abrasion resistance, without deterioration of the fabric`s flammability.

Highlights

A lot of innovations in the development of heatresistant and flame-protective textiles, used for firefighters, military and space personnel, and other foundry and industrial workers, have been carried out over the last decade, and they will continue in the near future as a fast-growing segment to meet the requirements of new high-end functions for cuttingedge applications, such as intelligent and wearable self-powering technologies (Stoppa and Chiolerio, 2014; Zeng et al 2014)
The zeta potential (ZP) of the fabric surfaces, as well as surface-free tension (SFT) energies of printing dispersions have been evaluated in order to verify these characteristics
The results indicate that more superficial coated microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) might be better available for the co-crosslinking with the subsequent acrylate-based paste (AP) deposition, it migh affect the AP crosslinking more, and its adhesion with the fabric due to the hydrophilic nature of MFC acting on the interface, and resulting in around 2.2% reduced add-on values as compared to the references (Ref-AP)

Summary

Introduction

A lot of innovations in the development of heatresistant and flame-protective textiles, used for firefighters, military and space personnel, and other foundry and industrial workers, have been carried out over the last decade, and they will continue in the near future as a fast-growing segment to meet the requirements of new high-end functions for cuttingedge applications, such as intelligent and wearable self-powering technologies (Stoppa and Chiolerio, 2014; Zeng et al 2014). A thinner and more open ANGE, that contains water vapour (half-less) resistance meta-aramid fibres as compared to the modacrylic-based and less open URIM-CN (Varga et al 2011), while the WVR of Lenzing viscose FR is much higher due its high sorption capacity, ANGE’s WVR is generally lower (%6.3 Pa m2/W), and almost independent on the printing procedure (%6.5 Pa m2/W) (Fig. 3); a small increase of the WVR could be observed for samples printed with 1.5 wt% MFC on the fabric front side— the side on which the WVR measurement was performed, which might be related to a higher adsorption ability of water vapour on this side.

Results

Conclusion