FEASIBILITY OF EXTRACTION AND QUANTIFICATION OF FIBER FINISHES VIA ONLINE SFE/FT-IR

The method of on-line supercritical fluid extraction/Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (SFE/FT-IR) has been applied to the analysis of fiber finishes on fiber/textile matrices. Three different fiber polymer types were examined, each requiring a different finish. Finishes ranged from a single-component poly(dimethylsiloxane) oil to more complex multicomponent finishes that included various surfactants, fatty acid esters and soaps, antioxidants, and oils. The three fiber types tested were polyurethane, polyamide, and aramid. Off-line extraction showed all three finishes to be over 89% extractable with pure CO2. Calibration curves were established for the three finishes, with relatively low error and reasonable detection limits (i.e., 0.2-5 mu g).