The Effect of Perfluoropolyether (PFPE)-Based Polyesters on Enhancing Water and Oil Repellency of Nylon Films

Year 2025, Volume: 10 Issue: 3, 213 - 227, 30.09.2025

Tugba Demir Çalışkan

https://doi.org/10.46578/humder.1717177

Abstract

This study aims to improve the water and oil repellent properties of Nylon film surfaces by employing perfluoropolyether (PFPE)-based polyesters as additives. In this work, PFPE-based polyesters were synthesized with different end-groups (–OH/ C4F9–PFPE and C4F9–PFPE / C4F9–PFPE). The synthesized polyesters were blended with a Nylon matrix, and surface coating was performed via a dip coating method, after which the films were annealed at 140°C for stabilization. The morphology and wettability of the film surfaces, before and after annealing, were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and contact angle measurements, respectively. The results demonstrate that the PFPE additives effectively migrated to the Nylon film surface, providing pronounced water and oil repellency. It was found that the wettability of the surface depended on two primary parameters: (i) the chemical structure of terminal groups in PFPE polyesters and (ii) the reorganization of the surface upon annealing. The highest water and oil repellency was achieved with the PFPE polyester bearing C4F9–PFPE chains at both ends. Even at low concentrations (5 w/w%), this oligomeric polyester, when incorporated into the Nylon matrix, exhibits low surface energy and oleophobicity comparable to polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). These findings suggest that PFPE-based polyesters can serve as an effective and sustainable alternative to environmentally harmful long-chain perfluoroalkyl compounds.

Keywords

Hydrophobicity , oleophobicity , perfluoropolyether , nylon

Perfloropolieter (PFPE) Temelli Polyesterlerin Nylon Filmlerinde Su ve Yağ İticiliğini Arttırmadaki Etkisi

Abstract

Bu çalışmada, perfloropolieter (PFPE) temelli polyesterlerin katkı malzemesi olarak kullanmasıyla, Nylon film yüzeylerinin su ve yağ itici yüzey özelliklerinin iyileştirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. PFPE temelli polyesterler, farklı uç gruplara sahip olacak şekilde sentezlenmiştir (–OH/C4F9–PFPE ve C4F9–PFPE /C4F9–PFPE). Sentezlenen bu polyesterler, Nylon matrisi ile karıştırılarak çözeltiye daldırma yöntemiyle yüzey kaplama işlemi uygulanmış, ardından Nylon/PFPE filmleri 140 °C’de tavlanarak stabilize edilmiştir. Tavlama öncesi ve sonrası film yüzeylerinin morfolojisi ve ıslanabilirlik özellikleri atomik kuvvet mikroskobu (AFM) ve temas açısı ölçümleri ile karakterize edilmiştir. Sonuçlar, PFPE katkılarının Nylon film yüzeyine etkin şekilde göç ettiğini ve yüzeyde belirgin düzeyde su ve yağ iticiliği sağladığını göstermektedir. Yüzeyin ıslanabilirlik özelliklerinin başlıca iki parametreye bağlı olduğu belirlenmiştir: (i) PFPE polyesterlerinin uç gruplarının kimyasal yapısı ve (ii) tavlama sonrası yüzeyin yeniden dengelenmesi. En yüksek su ve yağ itici özellik, her iki ucunda C4F9–PFPE zinciri taşıyan polyester ile elde edilmiştir. Nylon matrise dahil edilen bu polyesterler, politetrafloroetilen (PTFE) ile kıyaslanabilir seviyede düşük yüzey enerjisi ve yağ geçirmezlik sunmaktadır. Elde edilen bulgular, PFPE temelli oligomerik polyesterlerin, çevreye zararlı uzun zincirli perfloroalkil bileşiklere karşı etkin ve sürdürülebilir bir alternatif oluşturabileceğini ortaya koymaktadır.

Keywords

Hidrofobik , oleofobik , perfloropolieter , nylon

Thanks

Makalenin hazırlanmasında yardımını esirgemeyen sayın Prof. Dr. Igor LUZINOV’ a teşekkür ederim.

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