Self-Healing Polyester Fiber to Reduce Microplastic Shedding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing polyester fibers shed microplastics during use, contributing to environmental pollution and posing health risks, with prior methods like coating or increasing spinning melt strength offering limited solutions.
Innovation Solution
A polyester fiber is prepared by mixing fiber-grade polyester with a self-healing polymer composed of ionic, non-ionic polyester, and polysiloxane chain segments, which are linked by ester bonds, and subjected to melt extrusion, cooling, oiling, and stretching to enhance wear resistance and self-healing properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If polyester fiber is used as a basic raw material for textiles, then it provides good mechanical properties and durability, but it sheds microplastics during washing and use, causing environmental pollution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining polyester with polyurethane elastomer to form a core-sheath bicomponent fiber structure. The polyester core provides durability and mechanical strength, while the polyurethane sheath reduces microplastic shedding. This composite structure allows the fiber to maintain its functional properties while mitigating the harmful microplastic shedding effect during washing and use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by modifying only the surface layer (sheath) of the fiber while keeping the core material unchanged. The polyurethane sheath is applied locally on the polyester core to specifically address the microplastic shedding problem at the fiber surface, where contact with water and mechanical stress occurs during washing, without altering the bulk properties of the polyester that provide durability.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If coating methods are used to reduce fiber shedding, then microplastic formation is reduced, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the coating process with the fiber spinning process by using a bicomponent fiber extrusion method. Instead of applying a separate coating layer after fiber production, the polyurethane sheath is formed simultaneously with the polyester core during the extrusion process. This integration eliminates the need for separate coating equipment and processes, reducing device complexity while achieving the same effect of reducing fiber shedding.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If spinning melt strength is increased to reduce shedding, then fiber integrity is improved, but the manufacturing precision and fiber quality control become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials with a core-sheath structure where the polyester core and polyurethane sheath have different mechanical properties. The polyurethane sheath provides flexibility and reduces brittleness, allowing the fiber to maintain integrity without requiring excessive increase in melt strength. This composite approach enables better control over spinning parameters and reduces the difficulty of maintaining manufacturing precision compared to using high-strength single-component fibers.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The self-healing polymer significantly reduces microplastic formation during use by improving wear resistance and enabling the fiber to self-heal, resulting in a 50-95% decrease in microplastics compared to untreated fibers.
Implementation Method 1
The fiber utilizes the polysiloxane in the sheath to reduce the fiber's friction coefficient, thereby improving the fiber's wear resistance
Implementation Method 2
a polyester fiber material with self-healing properties, which on the one hand improves the wear resistance of the fiber material, and on the other hand, it can self-heal in response to damage during use
Implementation Method 3
The nonionic polyester chain segments and ionic polyester chain segments are synthesized through an esterification reaction, and then subjected to a polycondensation reaction
Data Source
AI summary
A method for preparing a polyester fiber uneasy to produce microplastics during use is provided. The method includes that mixing fiber-grade polyester with a self-healing polymer, and then carrying out melt extrusion, cooling, curing, oiling, and stretching processes to prepare a polyester fiber uneasy to produce microplastics during use; wherein the self-healing polymer is a block copolymer having an ordered structure and is composed of non-ionic polyester chain segments, ionic polyester chain segments and polysiloxane chain segments; both different types of chain segments and the same type of chain segments in the non-ionic polyester chain segments, ionic polyester chain segments and polysiloxane chain segments are linked by ester bonds, and two ends of the polysiloxane chain segment are hydroxyl-terminated. This invention introduces self-healing polymers into the polyester spinning melt, designs and develops polyester fiber materials with self-healing properties, which on the one hand, improves the wear resistance of the fiber material, and on the other hand, self-healing in response to possible damage during use, thereby significantly suppressing the microplastics in the fiber.