As a functional material with hydrophilic groups introduced through physical modification or chemical grafting, hydrophilic masterbatch has shown broad application prospects in water treatment, medical treatment, agriculture, industry and other fields due to its excellent water absorption, moisture retention and surface activity.
Keywords: hydrophilic masterbatch; application field; hydrophilic mechanism; functional material; sustainable development
1. Introduction
Hydrophilic masterbatch is a kind of polymer composite material prepared by special process, which contains polar molecular layer or hydrophilic group on its surface, and can form a tight bond with water molecules. This kind of material is usually made of hydrophilic polymer (such as polyacrylamide, starch graft copolymer) and polar resin through mixing, extrusion and other processes, and has the characteristics of fast hydrophilic rate, high water retention rate and strong antistatic property. With the development of material science, the function of hydrophilic masterbatch has expanded from simple water absorption to composite properties such as oil repellency, antibacterial and biodegradability, and has become a key material to promote technological innovation in many industries.
2. Core performance and mechanism of action
2.1 Hydrophilic mechanism
The hydrophilic property of hydrophilic masterbatch originates from its surface polar molecular layer or grafted hydrophilic groups (such as carboxyl and hydroxyl groups). When added to plastic or fiber substrates, these groups migrate and align on the surface of the material to form a super hydrophilic layer, which reduces the surface tension of water and achieves rapid water absorption and moisture retention. For example, PPQS and PEQS hydrophilic masterbatches form a hydrophilic layer on the surface of polyolefin, which makes the hydrophilic rate of non-woven fabrics reach immersion within 1 second and the water absorption rate can reach 10 times.
2.2 Composite function expansion
Through chemical modification, hydrophilic masterbatch can integrate multiple functions. For example, starch-acrylic acid-acrylamide-fluorinated acrylate graft copolymer exhibits oil repellency (fluorocarbon-based directional arrangement) in a dry state, and exposes the hydrophilic network in a wet state, realizing the dual functions of "hydrophilic + oil repellent", which is suitable for easy-to-decontaminate textiles. In addition, the introduction of nanopowders (such as indium tin oxide) can give the masterbatch antistatic properties, meeting the stringent requirements of medical packaging materials.
3. Multi-field application cases
3.1 Water treatment and environmental governance
Hydrophilic masterbatch shows excellent purification ability in water treatment. For example, hydrophilic oleophobic modified fiber can reduce the oil content of oily wastewater to below 1ppm by adsorbing macromolecular organic matter and intercepting oil stains, and the filtration efficiency is as high as more than 99%. Its three-dimensional network structure can not only efficiently remove oil stains, but also can be reused through backwashing, significantly reducing the treatment cost. In addition, the filter membrane made of hydrophilic masterbatch is also widely used in the fields of heavy metal ion adsorption and micro-pollutant removal.
3.2 Medical and sanitary products
In the medical field, hydrophilic masterbatch promotes the upgrading of dressings, wet wipes and other products by improving the hydrophilicity and antistatic properties of non-woven fabrics.
3.3 Agriculture and ecological protection
In the agricultural field, hydrophilic masterbatch can significantly improve the water holding capacity of soil as a water retaining agent. For example, agricultural film with hydrophilic masterbatch can increase the soil moisture retention rate by more than 30% and reduce the frequency of irrigation, which is especially suitable for arid areas.
3.4 Industry and Consumer Goods
In the industrial field, hydrophilic masterbatch is used to improve the surface properties of plastics and fibers. For example, PPQS hydrophilic masterbatch can give polyolefin films lasting antistatic properties, prevent dust adsorption, and improve the reliability of electronic device packaging. In the consumer goods field, hydrophilic and easy-to-decontaminate polyester masterbatch uses the "hydrophilic + oil-repellent" properties to enable clothing fabrics to achieve self-cleaning functions while maintaining breathability, reducing washing frequency, and complying with the trend of green consumption.
4. Technological innovation and development trends
4.1 Environmental protection and sustainable materials
With the global restrictions on "permanent chemicals" such as PFAS, fluorine-free hydrophilic masterbatch has become a hot spot for research and development. In addition, bio-based hydrophilic masterbatch (such as polylactic acid-based) reduces dependence on petroleum resources through plant starch raw materials and degradable design, which is in line with the concept of circular economy.
4.2 Intelligent response materials
The function of hydrophilic masterbatch is expanding in the direction of intelligent response. For example, thermosensitive hydrophilic masterbatch can adjust the water absorption capacity according to the ambient temperature, which is suitable for humidity control of smart textiles; pH-responsive masterbatch can release drugs or active ingredients under specific acid-base conditions for targeted treatment. The development of such materials will promote the application of hydrophilic masterbatch in emerging fields such as smart packaging and biomedicine.
4.3 Process optimization and cost control
The performance and production efficiency of hydrophilic masterbatch are continuously improved by improving the preparation process. For example, twin-screw extrusion technology combined with a side feeding system can achieve efficient dispersion of biohydrophilic agents while retaining their activity. In addition, the development of low melt index hydrophilic masterbatch solves the pore blocking problem in meltblown fabric processing, reducing the production cost of hydrophilic non-woven fabrics by more than 20%.
5. Conclusion
Hydrophilic masterbatch has become a key material in water treatment, medical treatment, agriculture and other fields due to its unique hydrophilic mechanism and composite function. With the strengthening of environmental protection regulations and the advancement of technological innovation, its application scenarios will be further expanded to cutting-edge fields such as smart materials and biomedicine. In the future, the development of hydrophilic masterbatch will focus on sustainability, intelligence and low cost, providing new solutions to solve global resource and environmental challenges.