Increasing the dyeability of polyester fabrics by photochemical treatment at room-temperature using H2O2 in air

Abstract

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fabrics are currently dyed using disperse dyes at high temperatures and pressures because of their low dyeability, which implies the use of a large amount of energy and pressurized vessels that are unsuitable for safe operation. Simple irradiation with a commercially available germicidal lamp was applied to the PET fabrics using aqueous H₂O₂ and H₂O₂ + acrylic acid solutions at room temperature under air. A more than seven-fold increase in dyeability with cationic dyes was obtained at atmospheric pressure at reduced temperatures. For the first time, the increase in dyeability was observed only with H₂O₂ by a reaction with O₂ in air. The increase in dyeability was attributed to the introduction of carboxylic acid groups on the fabric surface, which was confirmed by IR and UV spectroscopy and chemical reactions.