Study on poly ethylene terephthalate fabric to improve its hydrophilic character using poly vinyl alcohol

Abstract

The advent of synthetic yarns dawned a new era in the textile newlineworld Polyethylene terephthalate or PET or polyester is one of the most newlineimportant synthetic fibres due to its high strength elasticity abrasion newlineresistance durability crease recovery and good resistance to chemical newlinebiological and environmental degradations They have scored over natural newlinefibres as regards their light weight and ease of care properties A significant newlinedrawback of polyester material is its hydrophobic nature The PET fibres do not newlineabsorb water as do natural fibres like cotton The fabric worn next to skin should newlineabsorb perspiration and facilitate heat exchange with the surroundings Hence newlinethere is a need for extensive investigation in improving hydrophilicity of PET newlinefabric newlineIt is rather difficult to modify the surface properties of polyester newlinematerial due to its crystalline structure and deficiency of reactive groups Of newlinethe various methods suggested alkali treatment is commercially viable In this newlinestudy an attempt is made to improve hydrophilicity of polyester fabric by newlineemploying concomitant effect of sodium hydroxide and polyvinyl alcohol newlineon PET fabric by two methods Polyvinyl alcohol or PVA is a nontoxic newlinesynthetic polymer with good physical and chemical properties and filmforming newlineability with relatively a simple structure of pendant hydroxyl groups newlineModification of the PET fabric surface without involving hazardous organic newlinesolvents and achieving permanent hydrophilic character is the advantage of the newlinechosen method newlineIn the first method a single stage treatment of PET fabric with PVA newlinein alkaline medium was carried out The PET fabric was treated with a newlinesolution of Polyvinyl alcohol in alkaline medium at boiling temperature newlineThe treated fabric was washed with hot water to remove physically held PVA newlineThe moisture related properties of the fabric tensile strength spectral analysis thermal studies dyeability of fabric with disperse dyes basic dyes newlineand reactive dyes were assessed The PET fabrics treated with sodium newlinehydroxide alone under similar experime