TY - JOUR
T1 - Melt-Blown Cross-Linked Fibers from Thermally Reversible Diels-Alder Polymer Networks
AU - Jin, Kailong
AU - Kim, Sung Soo
AU - Xu, Jun
AU - Bates, Frank S.
AU - Ellison, Christopher J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 American Chemical Society.
PY - 2018/11/20
Y1 - 2018/11/20
N2 - Melt blowing is a process in which liquid polymer is extruded through orifices and then drawn by hot air jets to produce nonwoven fibers with average diameters typically greater than one micron. Melt-blown nonwoven fiber products constitute a significant fraction (i.e., more than 10%) of the $50 billion global nonwovens market. Thermoplastic feedstocks, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, poly(phenylene sulfide), and poly(butylene terephthalate), have dominated melt-blown nonwovens because of their combined cost, good chemical resistance, and high-temperature performance. Cross-linked nonwovens from other commodity polymers (e.g., (meth)acrylates, styrenics, silicones, etc.) could be attractive alternatives; however, no commercial cross-linked nonwovens currently exist. Here, cross-linked fibers were produced via one-step melt blowing of thermoreversible Diels-Alder polymer networks comprised of furan- and maleimide-functional methacrylate-based polymer backbones. These dynamic networks de-cross-link and flow like viscous liquids under melt-blowing conditions and then revert to a network via cooling-induced cross-linking during/after melt blowing. Finally, the resulting cross-linked fibers can be recycled after use because of their reversible dynamic nature, which may help address microfiber waste as a significant source of microplastic pollution.
AB - Melt blowing is a process in which liquid polymer is extruded through orifices and then drawn by hot air jets to produce nonwoven fibers with average diameters typically greater than one micron. Melt-blown nonwoven fiber products constitute a significant fraction (i.e., more than 10%) of the $50 billion global nonwovens market. Thermoplastic feedstocks, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, poly(phenylene sulfide), and poly(butylene terephthalate), have dominated melt-blown nonwovens because of their combined cost, good chemical resistance, and high-temperature performance. Cross-linked nonwovens from other commodity polymers (e.g., (meth)acrylates, styrenics, silicones, etc.) could be attractive alternatives; however, no commercial cross-linked nonwovens currently exist. Here, cross-linked fibers were produced via one-step melt blowing of thermoreversible Diels-Alder polymer networks comprised of furan- and maleimide-functional methacrylate-based polymer backbones. These dynamic networks de-cross-link and flow like viscous liquids under melt-blowing conditions and then revert to a network via cooling-induced cross-linking during/after melt blowing. Finally, the resulting cross-linked fibers can be recycled after use because of their reversible dynamic nature, which may help address microfiber waste as a significant source of microplastic pollution.
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U2 - 10.1021/acsmacrolett.8b00685
DO - 10.1021/acsmacrolett.8b00685
M3 - Article
C2 - 35651240
AN - SCOPUS:85055147677
SN - 2161-1653
VL - 7
SP - 1339
EP - 1345
JO - ACS Macro Letters
JF - ACS Macro Letters
IS - 11
ER -