Fabrication and characterization of oil-absorptive fiber by polypropylene and poly(butyl methacrylate-co-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) blends

A series of blend fibers based on a certain weight polypropylene (PP) and poly(butyl methacrylate-co-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PBMA-co-HEMA) were prepared via melt spinning in a corotating twin screw extruder. The morphology and structure of the blend fiber was studied by stereoscopic microscopy, polarized optical microscopy, wide-angle x-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electronic microscopy. Thermal properties were carried out by means of differential scanning calorimetry and melt flow index. The results demonstrated that the crystalline structure is proven to be greatly destroyed owing to the entanglement and cross-linking of molecular chains caused by hydrogen bond network of the copolymer in the blend. Oil absorbency decreases with increasing mass fraction of PP in the blend fiber. Moreover, the enthalpy of crystallization and supercooling temperature decrease as the content of PBMA-co-HEMA component increases.