Amphipathic combination of poly(sodium allyl sulfonate) and poly(ethyl acrylate) on starch for strong adhesion to cotton fibers and film properties

The main objective of this study was to reveal the superiority of new amphipathic poly(sodium allyl sulfonate) (PSAS)/poly(ethyl acrylate) (PEA) structure to control P(SAS-co-EA) structure in adhesion to cotton fibers and film properties. Another objective was to explore the effect of the grafting ratios of poly(sodium allyl sulfonate)-g-starch-g-poly(ethyl acrylate) (PSAS-g-S-g-PEA) samples on the properties, so as to provide a new starch-based adhesive for cotton warp sizing. A series of PSAS-g-S-g-PEA samples and control S-g-P(SAS-co-EA) samples were prepared, and their adhesion to cotton fibers and film properties were evaluated. The PSAS-g-S-g-PEA samples with grafting ratios of 11.33% and 9.02% showed bonding strengths of 17.54 cN/tex and 17.01 cN/tex, and their film possessed elongations at break of 4.89% and 4.53%, and bending endurances of 2000 cycles and 1598 cycles, respectively. In contrast, the S-g-P(SAS-co-EA) samples with the ratios of 10.34% and 7.98% had bonding strengths of 16.33 cN/tex and 15.91 cN/tex, and their films showed elongations at break of 4.31% and 3.95%, and bending endurances of 1541 cycles and 1323 cycles, respectively. Therefore, the combination of the PSAS and PEA branches exhibited obvious superiority in the properties to P(SAS-co-EA) structure. Increasing the grafting ratios from 0% to 11.33% could increase the bonding strength from 14.92 cN/tex to 17.54 cN/tex and elongation at break from 2.58% to 4.89%, enhance bending endurance from 1075 cycles to 2000 cycles, and reduce film strength from 38.21 MPa to 32.02 MPa. PSAS-g-S-g-PEA as a new adhesive showed potential application for sizing cotton warps.