WETTING PROPERTIES OF RADIATION INITIATED CROSSLINKED HYDROPHILIC FINISHES ON POLYESTER

Four monomers; Carbowax('(REGTM)) 550 acrylate (C), Tergitol('(REGTM)) 15-S-12 acrylate (T), N-(1,1-dimethyl-3-dimethylaminopropyl) acrylamide (N), and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane-sulfonic acid (S); and combinations; CNS, CS, CST; were used to prepare crosslinked hydrophilic finishes on polyester fabric and films. Methods were developed using radiation from an electron accelerator and a cobalt-60 gamma source to initiate free radical reactions.; Dose curves were used to determine the effect of dose on crosslinking. Ten Mrads of irradiation dose was needed to insure higher add-on and durability to laundering. Some monomers and combinations were sufficiently crosslinked at lower doses. The addition of tetraethylene glycol diacrylate (TEGD) increased the percent crosslinking at a lower dose.; Scanning electron photomicrographs, optical microscopy, and selective dyes showed the crosslinked finishes were located on the surface of the fibers. Finishes made from the N monomer alone or in combinations lacked continuity and they were not reproducible.; Analyses of sulfur and nitrogen content indicated that polymerized S was more water soluble than the C fraction of the CS treatment. When S was fixed by polymerized N in the CNS treatment, nitrogen and sulfur were found in the amounts expected.; Moisture regain of polyester fabrics increased only slightly with the addition of hydrophilic finishes. Wetting times for CS and CST combinations on polyester double knit fabrics were comparable to cotton fabrics and Zelcon('(REGTM)) finished polyester fabrics. Wicking rates of polyester fabrics were increased by the hydrophilic finishes; however CS and CST swell as the amount of moisture was increased and the rate decreased. CS and CST have higher water holding capacities than any monomer or combination examined. Zelcon('(REGTM)) treated polyester fabrics wicked faster, but retained less water. Lowering the surface energy of water by adding surfactant or by using synthetic acid and alkaline perspiration decreased wicking rate and water holding capacity.; Critical surface tensions were calculated from contact angles of water, glycerine, formamide and methylene iodide on films prepared from C, (61.5 dynes/cm) T, (45.3 dynes/cm) and CS + TEGD (47.2 dynes/cm).; Immersion tests on films prepared from hydrophilic monomers and combinations produced higher values for water retention than the same formulations produced on fabrics. Films prepared from CST, CS + Silicon surfactant and CS + 1%T did not crosslink sufficiently and were dissolved in this test.; Oily soil release was improved by the hydrophilic finishes, but particulate soil removal was decreased with the increased addition of N in the formulations.