Surface modification and dyeing of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene fabrics using diazirine-based polymers
Date
2024
Authors
Nazir, Rashid
Musolino, Stefania F.
MacFarlane, Madisen A.
Wulff, Jeremy E.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ACS Applied Polymer Materials
Abstract
Ultra-high-molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers are valued for their high strength-to-weight ratio and are employed in a wide variety of commercial applications. However, because of its low surface energy, UHMWPE can fail in certain applications, such as fiber-reinforced composites. This is due to its poor interfacial adhesion with polar matrices, making it challenging to incorporate into composites and/or retain polar dyes or colorants. Herein, we describe the use of polyamine primers for coating UHMWPE weaves, covalently bonding the aliphatic chains through C−H insertion, leading to strong covalent interactions between fabric and polyamines. We further demonstrate that the polyamine-coated UHMWPE surfaces can successfully react with epoxy resin through nucleophilic addition reactions to enable the production of epoxy composites. Furthermore, we show the use of polyamine-coated UHMWPE in secondary functionalization with amine-reactive compounds, such as dyes, through covalent linkages that result in very strong color fastness.
Description
Keywords
UHMWPE, diazirines, crosslinking, primers, dyes, Centre for Advanced Materials and Related Technology (CAMTEC)
Citation
R. Nazir, S. F. Musolino, M. A. MacFarlane & J. E. Wulff (2024) Surface Modification and Dyeing of Ultra-high-molecular-weight Polyethylene Fabrics using Diazirine-Based Polymers. ACS Applied Polymer Materials, 6, 1688–1697. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsapm.3c02531