Modification of polyamide 6.6 dyeing properties by grafting with poly(acrylic acid)

Abstract

The wet chemical surface modification continues to be a growing area of research interest. This study describes preparation and characterization of poly (acrylic acid)-grafted polyamide 6.6 fabric. Poly(acrylic acid) has been grafted onto polyamide backbone using benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as catalyst in aqueous medium. The benzoyl peroxide initiator optimum concentration was 0.03 M. The best conditions for optimum grafting reaction were reaction time 120 min, grafting temperature 85°C, monomer concentration 0.5 M and BPO concentration 0.03 M. The grafting rate was evaluated gravimetrically. The maximum grafting percentage obtained was 13.3%. All samples were characterized by Fourier–transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR). The influence of acrylic acid grafting onto polyamide 6.6 was studied in terms of dye uptake using a basic dye, Rouge Maxilon GRL. Mechanical properties were also analysed.