Effect of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide on Dyeability and Physical Properties of Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene Fiber

Abstract

Supercritical carbon dioxide dyeing, a new type of anhydrous dyeing method, has a lot of advantages, mainly conservation of energy, prevention of pollution, reusability of dye, and many more. This study presents a viable method for the dyeing of an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fabric by using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) as a medium. Five hydrozono propanenitrile dyes that are functional colorants having antibacterial activity were applied for the dyeing of the UHMWPE fabric in scCO2 at a pressure of 20 MPa and at temperature of 120°C. The dyeability of UHMWPE fabric under scCO2 was evaluated by color measurement, whereby the color strength K/S was calculated. As the treating time and concentration of dye increased, the dyeability of the UHMWPE fabric displayed the tendency to continually improve. As decaline was added into scCO2 as the cosolvent, we obtained higher K/S. Furthermore, color fastness to rubbing and sublimation of the dyed UHMWPE fabric were determined according to Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) L 0849 2 and JIS L 0854, and the trend showed that the increase in fastness corresponded to the increase in duration of the treatment. The influence of scCO2 dyeing on the mechanical properties of UHMWPE was also examined. Consequently, it was found that dyeing in scCO2 containing decaline reduced the crystallinity of the UHMWPE fabric and the breaking strength decreased. The antimicrobial property of UHMWPE dyed with N′-(2-chloro-4-methylphenyl)-2-oxo-2-(p-tolyl)acetohydrazonoyl cyanide was tested against three different microorganisms, and the results have been reported.