Hyperbranched Polyester-Stabilized Nanotitania-Coated Vectran Fibers with Improved UV-Blocking Performance

An OH terminated hyperbranched polyester is used to stabilize TiO2 nanomaterials (10nm) in situ synthesized via a sol-gel method with butyltitanate as precursor. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses and thermogravimetric (TGA) analyses illustrate the interactions of the hyperbranched polyester with the TiO2 nanoparticles. The stabilized TiO2 nanocomposites are used in the finishing process of Vectran and a continuous uniform TiO2 coating on the Vectran fiber surface is achieved. The TiO2-treated Vectran filaments exhibit an increased tensile strength compared to the untreated Vectran systems upon exposure to Xenon lamp UV radiation. The coating leads to improved UV-blocking performance.