Soil-release and textile properties of cotton/polyester-poly(methacrylic acid) copolymer fabrics were determined. Three cotton/polyester blends were irradiated with gamma-radiation from cobalt-60 to a dosage of 1 megarad at 25°C and then treated with methacrylic acid (MAA) in 80:20 vol.-% aqueous methanol-water, for desired times and monomer concentrations, to produce copolymer fabrics that contained 6–22% poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA). Graft copolymerization of MAA with these fabrics resulted in high soil-removal efficiencies (87–98%) and increased moisture-regain properties. Their flex- and flat-abrasion resistances, breaking and tear strengths, and wrinkle-recovery angles were generally higher than those of the cotton control fabric. Flex-abrasion resistance data were interpreted in terms of these copolymers' lower flexibility that depended on the glass-transition temperature and substituent groups on PMAA. Results of this investigation support the theory that increased moisture regain of fabrics, presence of electron-donating groups to reduce charge on fabrics, and increased water penetration into crevices and intrayarn and interyarn spaces are essential for an efficient soil-release process.
Graft copolymerization of methacrylic acid monomers onto polypropylene fibers