PET fabric with highly hydrophilic surface was obtained by microwave-assisted, nonaqueous glycolysis under alkali condition. Surface hydrophilicity was measured by water drop test, vertical wicking test, and contact angle measurement. At 120 s of irradiation, the glycolyzed PET showed instantaneous wetting with a low level of alkali concentration, such as 0.1% NaOH. DSC and SEM analyses were used to investigate thermal and topological characteristics of the glycolyzed PET. Depending on the required hydrophilicity, the level of alkali and irradiation time must be adjusted. Use of microwave-assisted modification could reduce the treatment time to less than 180 s from 1 to 2 h in a conventional dyeing machine treatment, allowing considerable savings in energy and processing costs.

Rapid hydrophilic modification of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fabric was carried out by deep eutectic solvent, ethylene glycol-choline chloride (EGC), under microwave irradiation. EGC is an inexpensive eco-friendly solvent, which is easy to handle along with low toxicity. Results showed that alkali concentration and microwave irradiation time were critical factors in determining surface characteristics of PET. The EGC-treated PET fabric showed highly hydrophobic surface with long wicking time (>2000 s) and high contact angle (135°) at 60 s of microwave irradiation time. However, by merely adding 0.5% sodium hydroxide, the EGC-treated PET fabric surface was drastically changed to highly hydrophilic surface with instant wicking time. The structure of modified PET was studied by various instrumental analyses such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. Tensile strength and methylene blue staining tests were also carried out to determine characteristics of the modified PET fabrics.

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