Structure and Absorption Property of the Functional Fiber Based on Polymethacrylate Prepared via Reactive Extrusion and Melt Spinning

Abstract

The homopolymer of butyl methacrylate was synthesized by suspension polymerization, then the solution for the monomer hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and the initiator benzoyl peroxide (BPO) was mixed with the homopolymer, finally the above mixture was made into organic liquids absorptive functional fiber via the method of reactive extrusion-melt spinning. The absorption capacity, gel fraction, remaining ratio and thermal stability of the fiber were investigated. In addition, the morphology of the fiber was observed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The results show that with increasing the mass fraction of HEMA in the mixture the spinnability of the mixture gradually becomes poor, and the absorbency for all the fiber samples displays the changing trend of first increase and then decrease with the extension of absorptive time. The gel fraction first increases and then decreases with increasing the mass fraction of HEMA in the mixture, along with the remaining ratio. The fiber is first endowed with high thermal stability as increasing the mass fraction of HEMA, but then the low thermal stability results from the continuous increase of the mass fraction of HEMA. Furthermore, FESEM images reveal that the fiber obtained as the mass fraction of HEMA being equal to 0 wt% has a mono-phase structure as well as smooth and neat cross-section. However, the fiber shows coarser cross-section and multi-phase structure with the increase of the mass fraction of HEMA.

Keywords:

• Absorption property
• Functional fiber
• Melt spinning
• Polymethacrylate
• Reactive extrusion

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors acknowledge the financial supports provided by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (Project number: 51103099), Tianjin Municipal Natural Science Foundation (Project number: 12JCQNJC01600) and Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (Project number: 20111201120002).