Effects of High Voltage and Surface Modification of Polyethylene Powder on the Mechanical Properties of Melt-Fixed PET Non-Woven Mats

An eco-friendly process for the fabrication of melt-fixed PET non-woven mats was developed to improve upon conventional production methods for floor or car mats by treating PET non-woven fabrics with polymer solutions of organic solvents. Thermoplastic powders with low melting points were dosed and distributed into PET non-woven fabrics with the application of high voltage, and then melt-fixed at an elevated temperature. Both unmodified polyethylene (PE) and poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA)-grafted PE (PE-g-PMA) with a grafted yield of 15.7% were used as base thermo- plastic powders. Varying the amount of PE (modified or unmodified) powder, as well as the applied voltage, affected the mechanical properties of the melt-fixed mats. These effects were investigated by mechanical testing. Results showed that the tensile breaking stress of the melt-fixed mats increased, while the strain at break decreased, with increases in the amounts of PE or PE-g-PMA powder and the applied voltage. However, the mechanical properties of the mats were fur- ther enhanced when PE-g-PMA powder was used compared to unmodified PE powder. The application of high voltages during the powder treatment caused the hydrophilic polar groups in PE-g-PMA to distribute the grafted powder more evenly throughout the PET fabric. The resulting greater evenness in the distribution of PE-g-PMA made the grafted pow- der more effective in enhancing the mechanical properties of the melt-fixed mats more than the unmodified PE powder.