Study of Polypropylene Carbonate (PPC) for Textiles Application

Ppc

This project studies the enhancement of polypropylene carbonate (PPC), an eco-friendly material synthesised from CO2, for its application in textiles. By enhancing the thermal stability of PPC composite, it may serve as an alternative to non-biodegradable synthetic polymer.

Synthetic polymer, such as nylon, is widely used in textile manufacturing. These synthetic polymers are non-biodegradable and may cause environmental issues. PPC, on the other hand, is a biodegradable synthetic polymer. It is currently used in producing a range of plastic products, such as utensil, garbage bag, foam board, and agricultural protective films. However, its application in textiles is uncommon due to the limitation of PPC.

Challenges of using PPC in textile manufacturing

  1. PPC deforms or decomposes under different temperature levels. It is a brittle polymer below 20℃ while it has poor dimensional stability over 45℃, leading to deformation during washing or other manufacturing tasks.
  2. Under thermal processing with temperature around 150℃ such as dyeing, ironing or finishing, PPC undergoes thermal decomposition.
Application

Enhanced PPC composite is applicable in making intimate apparel and home textiles.
Industry Benefit

Low production costs and easy integration into existing production
Technological Breakthrough
  • Molecular modification: enhanced PPC composite has higher thermal stability so that it can withstand heat in textile process and application
  • PPC composite fibre spinning and fibre dope dyeing 
Project Name (ITF)

Study of Polypropylene Carbonate (PPC) for Textiles Application
Project Number (ITF)

ITP/046/22TP