Polyacrylonitrile polymer treatment

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for exchanging derivatizing agents onto ionic functional groups, preferably sulfate, sulfonate, and carboxylate functional groups, in a polymer, and then thereby holding these derivatizing agents in place by strong ionic bonds. The ionic functional groups are those currently used in industry to enhance dyeability, and therefore do not present a problem with textile treatments normally encountered in the industry. Polyacrylonitrile polymer is synthesized with an ionic comonomer to obtain a number of dye sites above that required for dying. The sodium or other cation that is ionically bound to the ionic comonomer, as well as the sulfonate and sulfate end groups, is then exchanged with a derivatizing agent. The preferred derivatizing agents comprise a quaternary ammonium compound. Protonated amines, such as tetramethyl ammonium quaternary salt, tetrabutyl ammonium quaternary salt, a quaternary ammonium salt of a dimethyl fatty acid amine, and the protonated primary amines contained in chitosan biopolymer, are successfully exchanged with the counterions on the available sulfate and sulfonate functional groups in acrylic polymers. The derivatizing agent imparts antimicrobial activity to the polymer and can improve rheological properties.