Premium
Production of sulfonated polyetheretherketone/polypropylene fibers for photoactive textiles
Author(s) -
Mylläri Ville,
Fatarella Enrico,
Ruzzante Marco,
Pogni Rebecca,
Baratto Maria Camilla,
Skrifvars Mikael,
Syrjälä Seppo,
Järvelä Pentti
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.42595
Subject(s) - polypropylene , materials science , electron paramagnetic resonance , fiber , scanning electron microscope , composite material , tenacity (mineralogy) , photocatalysis , degradation (telecommunications) , polymer chemistry , chemistry , catalysis , organic chemistry , telecommunications , physics , nuclear magnetic resonance , computer science
New photocatalytic fibers made of sulfonated polyetheretherketone (SPEEK)/polypropylene (PP) are melt compounded and melt spun, first on laboratory scale and then on a semi‐industrial scale. Fiber spinnability is optimized and the fibers are characterized using mechanical testing, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). According to the results, the fiber spinnability remains at a good level up to 10 wt % SPEEK concentration. Optimal processing temperature is 200°C due to the thermal degradation at higher temperatures. EPR measurements show good and long‐lasting photoactivity after the initial irradiation but also decay in the radical intensity during several irradiation cycles. Mechanical tenacity of the SPEEK/PP 5:95 fiber is approximately 20% lower than for otherwise similar PP fiber. The fiber is a potential alternative to compete against TiO2‐based products but more research needs to be done to verify the real‐life performance. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132 , 42595.