FORMULATION DEVELOPMENT TO OBTAIN THIN FILM COATINGS ON SOLID SURFACES USING ADMICELLAR POLYMERIZATION

Hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties are imparted on solid surfaces to enhance the properties of surfaces. From over a decade several methods have been employed to impart thin film coatings onto surfaces. Apart from different polymerization methods, admicellar polymerization process was implemented to impart enhanced properties to selected solid surfaces. Admicellar polymerization (AP), a surface analogue of emulsion polymerization was used to develop film coatings on surfaces. AP follows three basic steps. First step is adsorption of surfactant molecules on to surface. The second step is adsolubilization of monomer into adsorbed surfactant molecules on surface. The next step is to initiate reaction and once the polymer is formed, modified surfaces are rinsed for removal of excess surfactant. Development of a system for AP involves measurement of surfactant adsorption and adsolubilization or partitioning of monomer into adsorbed structures. Two-site adsolubilization model and binary adsolubilization models were used to calculate the size of surfactant aggregates over the surface of solids. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analytical technique was used to obtain the adsorption and adsolubilization measurements. We have to modify the two-site adsolubilization model to fit for the surfaces we have used. Adsolublized monomers were polymerized to form thin film coatings on surfaces. The modified solid surfaces were analyzed using different analytical techniques SEM, EDS, TGA, BET, FTIR to confirm the polymer formation. Hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties are tested with respective test methods depending on what type of surface used

Stain Resistance of Cotton Fabrics before and after Finishing with Admicellar Polymerization

Environmental concerns related to perfluoroctanoic acid (PFOA) led to a re-examination of the methods for imparting stain resistance and stain repellency to textiles. Non-PFOA fluoropolymer finishes have been formed on cotton knits by admicellar polymerization, a surface analogue of emulsion polymerization. Fabric samples were characterized by a drop test, contact angle measurements, SEM, elemental analysis and durability studies. Stain resistance and stain release properties were assessed by reflectance and AATCC tests with results comparing favorably with swatches from commercially available garments. Admicellar polymerization enabled the formation of durable finishes that exhibited high performance in stain resistance and stain repellency