A Vapor-Phase Technique for Radiation-Induced Grafting of Vinyl Monomers to Fibers

Abstract

A technique for the radiation grafting of volatile vinyl monomers to fiber substrates is described. The monomer is applied from the vapor phase while the samples are exposed to gamma radiation from Cobalt-60.The fibrous materials that are relatively unstable toward radiation are the ones that add the vinyl compounds the most readily. These are the cellulosics (cotton and rayon), cellulose esters (acetate), polyamides (nylon 66), and polypropylene fibers. The polyesters and the acrylics show little tendency to undergo graft polymerization. The monomers that have been studied are methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, acrylonitrile, butadiene, vinyl acetate, methyl methacrylate, vinyl chloride, styrene, ethylene, propylene, and divinyl sulfone. The most successful experiments have been conducted with the first fiveof these monomers, and acetate and polypropylene fibers take part in the grafting process most readily.The rate of grafting of the monomers to many of the substrates can be materially increased by the addition of a third material to the system. Water, methanol, and acetic acid vapors accelerate the rate of grafting to cotton, rayon, and nylon.. The modification of cotton by the radiation addition of acrylonitrile results ID a fiber almost completely resistant to microorganisms. This effect can be a~hieved by the deposition of only 3.5% of the monomer (as polymer), and the fiber retains the appearance and feel of untreated cotton. The product is superior in these respects to that made by the addition of acrylonitrile from the iron-peroxide catalyst system.

Preparation of Nylon-6 Textile Materials for Special Applications Part1: Polymerization of 2-Methacryloxy Ethyl Trimethyl Ammonium Chloride with Nylon-6 Nonwoven Fabric Using K2S2O8 As Initiator

“…Different techniques for grafting polyamide fibers have been used. The most important among them are : initiation by irradiation [12][13][14][15][16][17], by plasma treatments [18] and by chemical methods [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31].…”

Cerium–initiated Polymerisation of Some Vinyl Compounds in Polyamide Fibres

“…Chemical neglected as substrates for the chemically-initiated grafting of methods include the use of potassium permanganate ( 1 4 , vinyl polymers, although grafting initiated by high- energy persulphates (15, 16, 17), and ceric salts (18) as initiators, the last radiation has been achieved with a number of common mono-being patented shortly after our studies began. Grafting onto mers, including acrylic (1)(2)(3)(4) and methacrylic (5) acids and their nylon preoxidised by ozone (19, 20) is also successful, whilst in esters ( 2 , 3 , 4 , 6), acrylamide (7), acrylonitrile (2, 4, 6, S), styrene irradiation-grafting conducted in the presence of air, peroxide groups formed on the nylon are at least partly responsible for initiation (7). Grafted polymers are variously claimed to improve tensile strength, wet crease-recovery, thermal stability, waterrepellency, dyeability, resistance to microbial attack and to soiling, and to decrease the surface electrical resistivity of nylon, although apparently none of the processes has been adopted commercially.…”