Abstract:

To extend its application in the field of water treatment, polypropylene (PP) nonwoven fabrics were modified by ultraviolet (UV) light initiated free radical polymerization between acrylic resin and polyethylene glycol (400) diacrylate (PEG (400) DA) for the improvement of hydrophilicity. The influence of mass fraction of prepolymer, hydrophilic monomer and photo initiator on the hydrophilicity of modified PP nonwoven fabric were studied. The results show that when the acrylic resin, PEG (400) DA and 184 mass fraction are 7 %, 13 % and 1 % respectively, the modified PP nonwoven fabrics possess the best hydrophilicity and hydrophilic durability. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) results show that the surfaces of PP fibers are firmly coated with the hydrophilic modifier. The PP nonwoven fabrics subjected to hydrophilic modification has good anti-contamination performance and good acid and alkali resistance.

Key words: ultraviolet curing, free radical polymerization, polypropylene, nonwoven fabric, hydrophilic modification