Modification and Application of Poly(Ethylene Terephethalate) Nonwoven Fiber Using Octadecyl Acrylate and Acrylic Acid as Oil Sorbers

Three series of crosslinked octadecyl acrylate and acrylic acid copolymers were prepared through suspension copolymerization based on acrylic acid content (10, 30, 50% wt. ratio). Divinyl benzene (DVB) was used as a crosslinker with different weight ratios (1, 4 and 10%). Isopropyl alcohol or dioctyl phthalate and methyl benzoate were used as two different reaction solvents in the presence of ABIN as initiator. The prepared crosslinked copolymers were characterized by SEM, TGA and FTIR spectroscopic analyses. The prepared polymers were coated onto poly(ethylene terephethalate) nonwoven fiber (NWPET). The effect of copolymerization feed composition, crosslinker wt% and reaction media or solvent on swelling properties of crosslinked polymers were studied through the oil absorption tests in toluene and 10% of diluted crude oil with toluene. It was noticed that the maximum swelling of crosslinked copolymers was increased from 30 to 100 g/g after grafting of copolymers onto NWPET.