Hydrophobic, breathable cellulose nonwoven fabrics for disposable hygiene applications. (15th July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Mei; Ma, Chi; Zhou, Dawang; Chen, Shiyan; Zou, Liming; Wang, Huaping; Wu, Jing
• Is Part Of: Carbohydrate polymers. Volume 288(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-07-15
• Subjects: Biodegradable material -- Hydrophobic materials -- Nonwoven fabrics -- Cellulose -- One-step impregnation; Polysaccharides -- Periodicals; Polysaccharides -- Periodicals; Polysaccharides -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 547.78
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.119367
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0144-8617

Abstract

Abstract: Cellulose-based fabrics with suitably high hydrophobicity and good air-permeability are highly promising for disposable hygiene applications. Herein, a facile, one-step method is reported, which effectively converts the completely hydrophilic cellulose nonwoven substrate into highly hydrophobic fabrics (water contact angle of 130–135°) with preservation of a good air-permeability (variation ± 6% after modification compared to the original 1337 mm·s −1 ). Mono-isocyanates with bulky, hydrophobic moieties were adopted and 3-isocyanatopropyltrimethoxysilane (ISPTMOS) was found to be the most efficient one compared to tert-butyl isocyanate (TBIS) and m-toluene isocyanate (MTIS). The influence of the type and concentration of modifiers on the structure and key properties (hydrophobicity, air-permeability, breaking strength, flexibility) of the fabrics was systematically investigated. This approach has a great potential for industrial scale-up at the stage of post-finishing of nonwoven fabrics, which can be applied in medical, hygiene and personal care areas. Graphical abstract: Unlabelled Image