Effect of Structural Units on the Adhesion of Acrylic Copolymers to Fibers for Warp Sizing

Radical copolymerization of acrylic acid(AA)with acrylamide(AM)or acrylamide/acrylonitrile(AM/AN)was initiated with ammonium persulfate as initiator to produce acrylic copolymers such as bicopolymer poly(AM-co-AA)and tercopolymer poly(AM-co-AN-co-AA)for revealing the effects of the structural units of the copolymers on the adhesion of the copolymers to polyester or cotton fibers for warp sizing.The adhesion was evaluated in terms of tensile strength and work-to-break of a roving impregnated with the copolymer solution.It was found that the adhesion strongly depended on type and amount of the units incorporated into the copolymeric chains.Whether the fiber is cotton or polyester,the adhesion of the bicopolymer poly(AM-co-AA)is greater than that of polyacrylic acid or polyacyamide.Excessively increasing the amount of AM or AA unit in poly(AM-co-AA)lowers the adhesion.To enhance the adhesion of the bicopolymer,a favorable mole ratio of AM to AA is 70/30.Based on this mole ratio,incorporation of acrylonitrile units into poly(AM-co-AA)to form tercopolymer enhances the adhesion.