Synthetic polymers textile industry

HoUow fibers can be prepared from almost any spiunable material. The fiber can be spun directly as a membrane or as a substrate which is post-treated to achieve desired membrane characteristics. Analogous fibers have been spun in the textile industry and are employed for the production of high bulk, low density fabrics. The technology employed in the fabrication of synthetic fibers appUes also to the spinning of hoUow-fiber membranes from natural and synthetic polymers. 

Leather Tanning and Textiles. Although chromium (VT) compounds are the most important commercially, the bulk of the appHcations in the textile and tanning industries depend on the abiUty of Cr(III) to form stable complexes with proteins, ceUulosic materials, dyestuffs, and various synthetic polymers. The chemistry is complex and not well understood in many cases, but a common denominator is the coordinating abiUty of chromium (ITT) (see LEATHER Textiles). 

Nylon was the first commercial polymer to make a substantial impact on the textile industry, but polyesters now comprise the largest segment of the market for synthetic fibers. In fact, polyesters account for 40% of the more than 4 billion kilograms of synthetic fibers produced in the United States each year. The leading polyester, by far, is poly(ethylene terephthalate), or PET. This polymer is made from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol in an acid -alcohol condensation reaction ... 

The new fibers were scientifically interesting—and they eventually laid the foundation for the synthetic textile industry—but at the time they seemed practically worthless. The first polyester fibers resembled those produced by the lowly silk worm, but Carothers did not think that the discovery would be commercially valuable. The polymer chains made in Hill s molecular still were still not long enough to make robust fibers. The filaments melted at such a low temperature and were so soluble that they could not be ironed or washed in dry cleaning fluid or hot water. Carothers knew he would have to make longer polymers if he hoped to make a marketable fiber. Instead, Carothers dramatized the romance of Hill s discovery by quoting the seventeenth-century microscopist, Robert Hooke, who had dreamed of making synthetic silk even better than that Excrement made by silk worms. 

Polyethylene terephthalate) (PET) has become a major synthetic polymer during the past forty years. Significant commercial markets [1] have been developed for its application in textile and industrial fibers, films, and foamed articles, containers for carbonated beverages, water and other liquids, and thermoformed applications (e.g. dual ovenable containers). 

POLYESTER FIBERS. The principal characteristics of these fibers are described in the endy on Fibers. Polyester fibers are defined as synthetic fibers containing at least 80% of a long-chain polymer compound of an ester of a dihydric alcohol and terephthalic acid. T he first polyester fiber to be commercialized was prepared from the ester in which the dihydric alcohol was ethylene glycol this fiber is the material used in the largest quantity bv the textile industry. For some other commercial uses, the ester 1,4-dimethyldicyclohexyl terephthalate is also used... 

C. Eckhardt, H. Hefti A Comparison of Fluorescent Brightening in the Production of Synthetic Polymer Fibers and in the Textile Industry , J. Soc. Dyers Colour. 87... 

A large fraction of the chemical industry worldwide is devoted to polymer manufacture, which is very important in the area of hazardous wastes, as a source of environmental pollutants, in toxicology, and in the manufacture of materials used to alleviate environmental and waste problems. Synthetic polymers are produced when small molecules called monomers bond together to form a much smaller number of very large molecules. Many natural products are polymers for example, cellulose in wood, paper, and many other materials is a polymer of the sugar glucose. Synthetic polymers form the basis of many industries, such as rubber, plastics, and textiles manufacture. 

Synthetic polymers have wide application in various industries and in this chapter the application with respect to the textile industry and biomedical field are addressed. These fibers exhibit excellent physical properties such as strength, flexibility, toughness, stiffness, wear, and abrasion resistance (Ikada, 1994). However, synthetic polymers also exhibit some disadvantages that restrict their wider applications. A poor hydrophilicity is the main disadvantage with synthetic polymers and this makes it difficult for the application in textile industry and the biomedical field. 

Synthetic polymers are also a major contributor in the textile industry. Synthetic fibers show excellent strength properties, chemical resistance, wrinkle resistance, and abrasion resistance. These fibers also show some undesired properties such as hydrophobicity due to which they show wearing discomfort as perspiration cannot penetrate the fabric and lower the reactivity with chemical agents, which normally act as barrier to other finishing agents. These problems are due to the presence of hydrophobic groups on the surface of synthetic polymers. Therefore, surface modification of synthetic polymers is very necessary. 

PAN, a synthetic fiber, is a polymer of acrylonitrile monomers. Worldwide, 2.73 million tons of PAN are produced per year, of which over 98% are processed as filament yarn serving as material in the textile industry (Tauber et al., 2000). PAN usually has a molecular weight of 55,000-70,000 g mol and is most commonly a copolymer produced by radical polymerization from acrylonitrile, 5-10 mol% vinyl acetate (or similar nonionic comonomers) to disrupt the regularity and crystallinity, and ionic comonomers, such as sulfuric or sulfonic acid salts. PAN is a hydrophobic polymer that affects the processability of the fibers. The surface is not easily wetted. 

The focus in this chapter will be on the two main polyolefin polymers, namely polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). The latter especially has established itself as a very versatile fiber with unique applications in the textile and nonwoven industry. Polyethylene, on the other hand, has not been widely used as a fiber compared to other synthetic polymers such as PET, PP, and nylon, due in part to its low melting point. This chapter will, however, discuss ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber that given its success and uniqueness in the synthetic fiber industry. 

During the past century, petrochemicals have become a vital part of industrial and economic activity around the world. Synthetic polymers are an important part of numerous industrial products, consumer goods, and healthcare applications. Materials such as polystyrene, polyester, and polyvinyl chloride are used in an enormous range of products across a wide variety of market sectors [5]. Textile production, food packaging, construction materials, and communication and entertainment technologies are all reliant on a plentiful supply of plastics. Petrochemicals have also been used extensively as food preservatives, vitamin supplements, refrigerants, antifreeze solutions, cosmetics, detergents, pharmaceuticals, and disinfectants. Chemicals derived from oil have enormous industrial, economic, and social importance. 

Various synthetic fibers appear in clothing, upholstery, and industrial uses. They are better known by commercial names, that hide their source and composition. Quite often a blend of natural and synthetic fibers is offered. The first man-made fibers (that still are of major use) are essentially based on a modification of natural cellulose. Most common in use are rayon (viscose) and cellulose-acetate (called acetate). The oldest synthetic polymer in the textile industry is the polyamide (Nylon 6-6) developed in 1935. Currently there are many synthetic fibers, like the following ... 

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