Pigment color printing on cotton and polyester fabrics with electron beam irradiation curable formulations

• Published in: Journal of applied polymer science 2009-02, Vol.111 (4), p.1892-1899
• Main Authors: Abdoua, L.A.W, Hakeim, O.A, El-Din, Mahmoud S, El-Gammal, M.S, El-Naggar, Abdel Wahab M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; color strength; curable formulations; durability properties; electron beam accelerator; Exact sciences and technology; Fibers and threads; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; pigment color; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Technology of polymers
• ISSN: 0021-8995; 1097-4628
• DOI: 10.1002/app.28728

Accelerated electrons delivered by electron beam accelerator were used to fix pigment colors, incorporated in curable formulation containing diluting monomer and an oligomer, to cotton and polyester fabrics. Tetrahydrofurfurfryl acrylate monomer and trifunctional urethane-methacrylate (TFUMA) oligomer were used as curable base besides ethylene glycol. The fabrics were printed with these formulations and exposed to various doses of electron beam irradiation generated from the 1.5 MeV (25 kW) electron beam accelerator machine. The irradiation dose, formulation composition, and pigment color concentration were studied. The roughness and color fastness to rubbing, washing, and perspiration of the printed fabrics by electron beam irradiation, were compared to the same fabrics printed by conventional pigment printing pastes. The results showed that cotton and polyester fabrics printed with the pigment colors by electron beam irradiation displayed higher color strength than those fabrics printed by the conventional thermal curing at equal pigment color ratios depending on the kind of pigment color. The durability properties, in term of roughness, rubbing, washing, and perspiration of fabrics printed by electron beam irradiation are better than those printed by conventional thermal curing.