Poly(oxyethylene) diglycolic acid: A novel blending antistatic agent for polyamide fibres

Abstract

Poly(oxyethy1ene) diglycolic acids (PEO acids) with average molecular weights of M,, = 8 400 (Ia), 3 300 (Ib), and 1 O00 (Ic) were used as blending anti-electrostatic agents for nylon 6 (Ny6) fibres. The blended fibres containing 2.0 and 5.0 wt.-% of the PEO acids were successfully spun by the melt-blend spinning process at 260°C. Processabilities of the spinning and the drawing of the as-spun filaments were little deteriorated compared with those of the Ny6 control. During the spinning block condensation of I and Ny6 occurred by reaction of their mutual end-groups. The block copolymers produced were distributed in the filament matrix as coarsely dispersed spheres to form sea-island structures. These fibres showed good antistatic properties; their performances were in the order of Ia > I b > Ic, which was parallel to the size, not the number, of the islands. The tensile properties of the fibres containing 2.0 wt.-% of Ia and Ib were comparable with those of the control. The dyeabilities examined for their knits were not seriously affected, either. In addition, it was indicated that the performance of antistatic property was not lost at all after the dyeing and the subsequent repeated washings. This is because I is anchored covalently to the Ny6 fibre matrix by the condensation above. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG:Polyoxyethylendiglykolsauren (PEO-Sauren) mit zahlenmittleren Molekulargewichten von M,, = 8 400 (Is), 3 300 (Ib) und 1 OOO (Ic) wurden als anti-elektrostatische Materialien for Nylon-6 (Ny6)-Fasern benutzt. Die 2 und 5 Gew.-Yo der PEO-Sauren enthaltenden Mischfasern wurden stufenweise aus der Schmelze der Mischung bei 260 "C versponnen. Die Verarbeitbarkeit der [as-spun] Filamente bezifglich Spin-nen und Ziehen war etwas schlechter als die der Ny6-Kontrollfasern. Wahrend des Spinnvorgangs kam es zur Blockkondensation von I und Ny6 durch Reaktion der jeweiligen Endgruppen. Die erhaltenen Blockcopolymeren waren in der Filamentmatrix in Form grob verteilter kugelformiger Partikel enthalten, die Inselstrukturen bildeten. Die Fasern zeigten gute antistatische Eigenschaften. Ihre Leistungen sanken in der Reihenfolge l a > I b > Ic, was parallel zur GrODe, nicht zur Zahl der Inselstrukturen war. Die Festigkeit der Fasern mit 2 Gew.-Yo Ia und Ib war mit denen der Kontrollfaser vergleichbar. Die an Geweben aus diesen Fasern untersuchte FPbbarkeit wurde kaum beeinflufit. Aunerdem zeigte sich, daD die antistatischen Eigenschaften auch beim Fglrben und den darauf folgenden wiederholten Waschvorghgen nicht verlorengingen. Der Grund dafur ist, dafi I durch die oben erwahnte Kondensationsreaktion kovalent and die NyGFasermatrix gebunden vorliegt.

Antielectrostatic poly(ether ester) block copolymer of poly(ethylene terephthalate‐co‐isophthalate)–poly(ethylene glycol)

“…To improve the antistatic properties of PET, most studies over the past 20 years have been carried out by the incorporation of dicarboxylic acid or diol as the third monomer. The resulting PET fibers showed improved hygroscopicity and antistatic properties and improved dyeability 1–6…”

“…Of all the third monomers investigated, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) has arguably been the most useful. PEG affords PET fibers with an affinity toward moisture, which greatly helps the leakage of static charges 3–6. Sharples and coworkers believed that the high conductivity of PEG did not arise from absorbed water but from proton removal 7, 8.…”