PLASMA INDUCED GRAFT POLYMERIZATION OF A FLUOROCARBON MONOMER ON POLYAMIDE 6,6 FABRICS

2-(perfluorohexyl) ethyl acrylate, a fluorocarbon based monomer was graft polymerized on polyamide 6,6 fabrics with the aid of an atmospheric pressure plasma reactor to obtain a water repellent surface. Di(ethylene glycol) diacrylate crosslinker was used to improve the graft yield of the polymerized layer. Two sets of experiments were conducted to understand the effects of variables on aqueous liquid repellency of fabrics. Plasma post exposure time and the presence of a crosslinker at high levels led to higher aqueous liquid repellency values and lower surface tension values. Static water contact angles were measured for the fabrics and values as high as 158 degrees were observed. FT-IR spectra also confirmed the high fluorocarbon content on the fabric surface after acetone extraction and after home laundering.