Improving wrinkle resistance of cotton fabric by montmorillonite

Cotton fabric was treated with montmorillonite (MMT) so as to evaluate its effectiveness on improving its wrinkle resistance. The MMT in emulsion form was applied to cotton fabric by padding and finally the wrinkle resistance of the MMT-treated cotton fabric was improved. Furthermore, instrumental methods were used for studying the presence of MMT particles on the cotton fabric surface. It was noted that nano-scale MMT particles adhered on the fiber surface and the particle size played an important role in influencing the wrinkle resistance of the cotton fabric. The experimental results are discussed thoroughly in this paper.     

Synthesis and hydrophilicity of poly(trimethylene 2,6-naphthalate)/poly(ethylene glycol) copolymers

Poly(trimethylene 2,6-naphthalate) (PTN)/poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) copolymers were synthesized by the two-step melt copolymerization process of dimethyl-2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylate (2,6-NDC) with 1,3-propanediol (PD) and PEG. The copolymers produced had different PEG molecular weights and contents. The structure, thermal property, and hydrophilicity of these copolymers were studied by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and by contact angle, moisture content, and instantaneous elastic recovery measurements. The intrinsic viscosity and the instantaneous elastic recovery of the PTN/PEG copolymers increased with increasing PEG molecular weight and content, whereas the glass transition, melting, and cold crystallization temperatures, and the heat of fusion of the PTN/PEG copolymers all decreased with increasing PEG molecular weight or content. The thermal stability of the copolymers was not affected by PEG molecular weight or content. The hydrophilicity, as determined by contact angle and moisture content measurements of the copolymer films, was significantly improved with increasing PEG molecular weight and content.     

Synthesis and hydrophilicities of Poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalate)/Poly(ethylene glycol) copolymers

Poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalate) (PEN)/Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) copolymers were synthesized by two step reaction during the melt copolymerization process. The first step was the esterification reaction of dimethyl-2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylate (2,6-NDC) and ethylene glycol (EG). The second step was the condensation polymerization of bishydroxyethylnaphthalate (BHEN) and PEG. The copolymers contained 10 mol% of PEG units with different molecular weights. Structures and thermal properties of the copolymers were studied by using¹H-NMR, DSC, TGA, etc. Especially, while the intrinsic viscosities of PEN/PEG copolymers increased with increasing molecular weights of PEG, but the glass transition temperature, the cold crystallization temperature, and the weight loss temperature of the copolymers decreased with increasing molecular weights of PEG. Consequently, the hydrophilicities by means of contact angle measurement and moisture content of the copolymer films were found to be significantly improved with increasing molecular weights of PEG.     

Copper metallization of poly(ethylene terephthalate) fabrics via intermediate polyaniline layers

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) fabrics were metallized through electroless plating of copper. The copper plating was performed on palladium-decorated polyaniline surfaces, and polyaniline was present as an intermediate layer on fabrics to facilitate palladium formation. Different oxidation states of polyaniline were tested in their efficacy in Pd (II) reduction and subsequent Cu plating. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to monitor the surface changes along the metallization procedure, and surface resistance was measure to probe the electrical properties of the metallized fabrics.     

Evaluation of cotton byproducts as fillers for poly(lactic acid) and low density polyethylene

Polymeric composites based on cotton burr and cottonseed bull have been prepared by melt blending and extrusion. For poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE), addition of the fillers slightly changed the composite's thermal properties but significantly decreased the composite's mechanical properties. Heat treatment prior to extrusion resulted in composites with better tensile strength and Young's modulus. The use of maleic anhydride and peroxide only slightly improved the physical properties of the LDPE materials, but the effect was less clear for the PLA materials. The PLA-filler composites may be useful for lowering the cost of the materials in applications that can tolerate the decreased properties. In addition, the addition of fillers to LDPE might be beneficial in applications to improve stiffness or to improve biodegradability.     

Titanium dioxide nanofibers prepared by using electrospinning method

The synthesis of titanium dioxide nanofibers with 200–300 nm diameter was presented. The new inorganic-organic hybrid nanofibers were prepared by sol-gel processing and electrospinning technique using a viscous solution of titanium isopropoxide (TiP)/poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc). Pure titanium dioxide nanofibers were obtained by high temperature calcination of the inorganic-organic composite fibers. SEM, FT-IR, and WAXD techniques were employed to characterize these nanofibers. The titanium dioxide nanostructured fibers have rougher surface and smaller diameter compare with PVAc/TiP composite nanofibers. The anatase to rutile phase transformation occurred when the calcination temperature was increased from 600 °C to 1000 °C.     

Crystallization of poly(vinylidene fluoride)-SiO2 hybrid composites prepared by a Sol-gel process

Organic-inorganic hybrid composites consisting of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and SiO₂ were prepared through a sol-gel process and the crystallization behavior of PVDF in the presence of SiO₂ networks was investigated by spectroscopic, thermal and x-ray diffraction measurements. The hybrid composites obtained were relatively transparent, and brittleness increased with increasing content of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS). It was regarded from FT-IR and DSC thermal analyses that at least a certain interaction existed between PVDF molecules and the SiO₂ networks. X-ray diffraction measurements showed that all of the hybrid samples had a crystal structure of PVDFγ-phase. Fresh gel prepared from the sol-gel reaction showed a very weak x-ray diffraction peak near 2θ=21° due to PVDF crystallization, and intensity increased gradually with time after gelation. The crystallization behavior of PVDF was strongly affected by the amount of SiO₂ networks. That is, SiO₂ content directly influenced preference and disturbance for crystallization. In polymer-rich hybrids, SiO₂ networks had a favorable effect on the extent of PVDF crystallization. In particular, the maximum percent crystallinity of PVDF occurred at the content of 3.7 wt% SiO₂ and was higher than that of pure PVDF. However, beyond about 10 wt% SiO₂, the crystallization of PVDF was strongly confined.