Surface functionalization of nonwoven polypropylene with BTCA polycarboxylic acid in supercritical carbon dioxide medium

Abstract: Nonwoven polypropylene has been utilized broadly in various hygienic and medical textile applications because of its excellent mechanical properties, chemical resistance, and minimal expense contrast with other synthetic polymers. However, the insufficiency of surface tethering groups, including adhesion, wettability, and hydrophilicity, some applications are not convenient on nonwoven polypropylene surfaces such as dyeing, printing, attachment of antibacterial and bioactive agents. To stimulate nonwoven polypropylene surface energy, utilization of supercritical carbon dioxide technology provides a resource-efficient and environment-friendly solution compares to other commonly developed wet chemical processes and ionized gas treatment techniques. This thesis investigates the possibility of functional group endorsement from 1,2,3,4-Butanetetracarboxylic acid onto nonwoven polypropylene surface in supercritical carbon dioxide media through impregnation where supercritical carbon dioxide acts as a solvent for the monomer and swelling agent for polypropylene. Two-level three-factor full factorial with a centre point statistical model implemented where pressure ranges from 9MPa to 13MPa, temperature ranges from 60°C to 100°C, and treatment time ranges from 6 hours to 8 hours, to optimize process condition to achieve less hydrophobic surface. Ethanol used as co-solvent and concentration of 1,2,3,4-Butanetetracarboxylic acid utilized 0.4 moles/litre in this investigation. Water contact angle analysis confirms surface functionalization for each treated sample and exhibits the highest decrease in surface hydrophobicity for (11MPa, 80°C, 7hrs) process condition treated sample (contact angle, θ = 114°). Statistical analysis shows the higher significance of temperature factor (p-value 0.008) with the feasibility of selected model efficacy (R2= 0.91). FTIR-ATR analysis authenticates the existence of hydrophilic functional groups (-OH, C=O, and C-O) from 1,2,3,4-Butanetetracarboxylic acid onto nonwoven polypropylene surface. Four stages mass loss thermogram of (11MPa, 80°C, 7hrs) process condition treated sample obtained from thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) confirm impregnation of organic molecules into nonwoven polypropylene matrix. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis shows a 7.56% decrease in crystallinity percentage of (11MPa, 80°C, 7hrs) process condition treated sample than non-treated nonwoven polypropylene. In this investigation, each process condition treated nonwoven polypropylene surfaces achieve a less hydrophobic surface due to the impregnation of hydrophilic functional groups from 1,2,3,4-Butanetetracarboxylic acid did not accomplish hydrophilic character. Analysis among carbonyl index and work of adhesion results revealed a decrease in hydrophobicity depend on the concentration of hydrophilic functional groups on polypropylene surface and at the same time rely upon the crystallinity percentage and swelling properties of nonwoven polypropylene.