Why Does Kevlar Decompose, while Nomex Does Not, When Treated with Aqueous Chlorine Solutions?

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• 作者：Akin Akdag ; Hasan B. Kocer ; S. D. Worley ; R. M. Broughton ; T. R. Webb ; Travis H. Bray
• 刊名：Journal of Physical Chemistry B
• 出版年：2007
• 出版时间：May 24, 2007
• 年：2007
• 卷：111
• 期：20
• 页码：5581 - 5586
• 全文大小：128K
• 年卷期：v.111,no.20(May 24, 2007)
• ISSN：1520-5207

文摘

Kevlar and Nomex are high-performance polymers which have wide varieties of applications in daily life.Recently, they have been proposed to be biocidal materials when reacted with household bleach (sodiumhypochlorite solution) because they contain amide moieties which can be chlorinated to generate biocidalN-halamine functional groups. Although Nomex can be chlorinated without any significant decomposition,Kevlar decomposes under the same chlorination conditions. In this study, two mimics for each of the polymerswere synthesized to simulate the carboxylate and diaminophenylene components of the materials. It wasfound that the p-diaminophenylene component of the Kevlar mimic is oxidized to a quinone-type structureupon treatment with hypochlorous acid, which then decomposes. However, such a mechanism for the Nomexmimic is not possible. In this paper, based upon these observations, a plausible answer will be provided tothe title question.