Toughening of Bio-Based PA 6.19 by Copolymerization with PA 6.6 - Synthesis and Production of Melt-Spun Monofilaments and Knitted Fabrics.

This work reports on the synthesis of statistical copolymers of bio-based PA 6.19 and PA 6.6 together with the production of melt-spun monofilaments for the production of sustainable textile fibers. The plant oil-based 1.19-nonadecanedioic acid was synthesized from bio-derived oleic acid via isomerizing methoxycarbonylation. The homopolymer PA 6.19 with a carbon-based bio-content of 72% showed a good elongation at break of 166%, but lower tensile strength than commercial PA 6 (43 MPa versus 82 MPa). Addition of adipic acid to form statistical PA 6.6/6.19 copolymers improved toughness while maintaining the high elongation at break. Two PA 6.6/6.19 copolymers with a carbon-based bio-content of 26% and 33% were successfully synthesized and exhibited comparable toughness (94±6 MPa and 92±2 MPa) to the commercial PA 6 (92±15 MPa). The bio-based copolymers also exhibit a much lower water uptake than PA 6 and PA 6.6, resulting in a higher dimensional stability. Melt spinning of the oleic acid-based polyamides was successfully carried out to produce monofilaments with sufficient properties for further processing in a knitting process, demonstrating the capabilities of the bio-based PA 6.6/6.19 copolymers for use in the textile industry. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.