Hydrolysis-resistant Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Fiber

For certain industrial applications, the mechanical properties of PET fiber can be deteriorated from hydrolysis because the terminal carboxylic groups promote the degradation of macromolecules under high moisture and high temperature. It limits the wide applications of PET fiber in some special cases. In this paper, three additives are selected to improve the hydrolytic stability through the reaction of bi-functional groups on additive molecules with carboxyl groups on PET molecules. The additives can serve not only as hydrolysis stabilizers, but also as agents to increase the molecular weight and consequently to improve PET fiber mechanical properties. PET pellets were blended with additive before spinning, and melt spun into fiber. The fibers were then hydrolyzed in an autoclave by saturated vapor at 140℃ for a period of time. Measurements of intrinsic viscosity, terminal carboxylic group value and strength of polyester fibers were carried out to study the effects of hydrolysis resistance. Results show that 2, 2'-bis (2-oxazoline) has best hydrolysis-resistibility and the chain-extension effect at the same time.