Chemical modification of polyester knitted fabric with ultrasound to improve hydrophilicity and wettability

Abstract

The study introduces a novel and innovative pretreatment or surface modification method for polyester fibers that enhances their hydrophilicity and moisture sorption. The modification alters the surface morphology of the fibers, resulting in reduced mass and improved sorption properties. The objective is to make the surface of polyester fibers more accessible to various agents, such as water, dyes, and finishing chemicals. The modification of polyester knitted fabric is performed in alcoholic and alkali-alcoholic solutions using ultrasound. The mass loss after modification ranges from 3.6 to 8.5%, depending on the type of treatment. The isoelectric point values for both unmodified and modified samples range from pH 2.5 to pH 3.1. During the process, the samples exhibit varying negative surface charges: KOH-Octanol treatment, pH 5, ζ = − 30 mV; octanol treatment, pH 5, ζ = − 20 mV; unmodified sample, pH 5, ζ = − 15 mV. The research results demonstrate that water absorption, capillarity, and wetting time are significantly improved in all cases for the modified polyester samples. The drop in burst resistance reaches a maximum of 12%. The contribution of this study lies in the application of novel agents for polyester modification and innovative processing procedures, which together enhance the properties and functionality of polyester fibers in a simple and effective manner.