Abstract:
Dye-receptive graft polymers comprise a polyester polymer substrate having graft polymerized thereto units of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer which confers dye affinity to the resulting product, e.g. (a) vinyl lactam monomers, particularly vinyl pyrrdidones; (b) sulphonated alkenyl aromatic monomers and alkali metal salts or esters thereof; (c) sulphonated olefines and alkali metal salts or esters thereof; (d) sulphonated esters of acrylic and methacrylic acids and alkali metal salts or esters thereof; (e) sulphonated N-substituted acrylamides and methacrylamides and alkali metal salts or esters thereof; (f) vinyl pyridine and lower alkyl derivatives thereof; (g) amino-substituted alkenyl aromatic monomers; (h) aminoethyl acrylate and methacrylate and N-methyl and -ethyl derivatives thereof; (i) alkenyl aromatic monomers ar-substituted by polyglycol ethers; (j) polyglycol esters of acrylic and methacrylic acids; and (k) N-vinyl-3-morpholinone. The grafting may be effected by impregnating the polyester with the monomer or a solution or dispersion thereof followed by polymerization of the monomer by means of a free radical catalyst or high energy irradiation, e.g. beta or gamma rays or the radiation from electron beam generators. The polyester substrate is preferably in shaped form, e.g. a filament. The examples describe the grafting on to a polyethylene terephthalate substrate (cloth) of N-vinyl pyrrolidone, a mixture of N-vinyl pyrrolidone and 2-sulphoethyl methacrylate, 2 -vinyl pyridine, N-vinyl-3-morpholinone and a polyglycol monoacrylate. The resulting products have good dye-receptivity. Reference has been directed by the Comptroller to Specification 805,513.