Shape memory polyamide and method of producing shape memory polyamide fabric using the same
Disclosed is a shape memory polyamide, produced by adding a polyvalent carboxylic acid and a polyvalent amine when polyamide is polymerized from e-caprolactam or hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid, and having an aromatic component which is introduced by one or more among the polyvalent carboxylic acid and the polyvalent amine and has a total amount ranging from 0.4 mol % to 10 mol % based on the amount of the raw material for polyamide. Also, a method of producing a shape memory polyamide fabric using the shape memory polyamide is provided. The polyamide fabric produced using the shape memory polyamide is a highly functional fabric which does not easily wrinkle and easily recovers its original shape even when wrinkled, and thus may be applied as material for various kinds of clothing.
1. A method of producing a shape memory polyamide fabric, comprising:
adding an aromatic polyvalent carboxylic acid and an aromatic polyvalent amine when polyamide is polymerized, thereby synthesizing a copolyamide prepolymer having an aromatic component, a total amount of which ranges from 0.4 mol % to 10 mol % based on an amount of a raw material for the polyamide;
subjecting the copolyamide prepolymer to weaving or knitting, thereby producing a woven or knitted fabric; and
subjecting the woven or knitted fabric to a heat treatment under conditions of (1) below and then to a dyeing treatment under conditions of (2) below:
Tg+ 40° C.< Tx<Tm− 20° C. (1)
Tg<Td<Tx (2)
wherein Tg is a glass transition temperature of a copolyamide prepolymer, Tx is a heat treatment temperature, Tm is a melting point of a copolyamide prepolymer, and Td is a dyeing temperature.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the aromatic polyvalent carboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid, 2,5- and 3,5-dicarboxybenzenesulfonic acid, 2,5- and 3,5-dicarboxyethylbenzenesulfonic acid, and 2,5- and 3,5-dicarboxypropylbenzenesulfonic acid or sulfonic acid salts of sodium, potassium or lithium thereof, 2,5- and 3,5-dimethoxycarboxylbenzenesulfonic acid, 2,5- and 3,5-dimethoxycarboxylethylbenzenesulfonic acid, and 2,5- and 3,5-dimethoxycarboxylpropylbenzenesulfonic acid or sulfonic acid salts of sodium, potassium or lithium thereof, 2,5- and 3,5-diethoxycarboxylethylbenzenesulfonic acid and 2,5- and 3,5-diethoxycarboxylpropylbenzenesulfonic acid or sulfonic acid salts of sodium, potassium or lithium thereof, 2,5- and 3,5-dipropoxycarboxylethylbenzenesulfonic acid and 2,5- and 3,5-dipropoxycarboxylpropylbenzenesulfonic acid or sulfonic acid salts of sodium, potassium or lithium thereof, and mixtures thereof.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the aromatic polyvalent amine is selected from a group consisting of para-phenylenediamine, meta-phenylenediamine, para-xylenediamine, meta-xylenediamine, and mixtures thereof.