Real-time monitoring of the penetration of amphiphilic acrylate copolymer in leather using a fluorescent copolymer as tracer.

A fluorescent tracer, poly (acrylic-co-stearyl acrylate-co-3-acryloyl fluorescein) [poly (AA-co-SA-co-Ac-Flu)], used for real-time monitoring the penetration of amphiphilic acrylate copolymer, poly (acrylic-co-stearyl acrylate) [poly (AA-co-SA)], in leather was synthesized by radical polymerization of acrylic, stearyl acrylate and fluorescent monomer, 3-acryloyl fluorescein (Ac-Flu). The structure, molecular weight, introduced fluorescent group content and fluorescent characteristics of the fluorescent tracer and target copolymer, amphiphilic acrylate copolymer, were also characterized. The results show that the tracer presents the similar structural characteristics to the target and enough fluorescence intensity with 1.68 wt % of the fluorescent monomer introduced amount. The vertical section of the leather treated with the target copolymer mixing with 7% of the tracer exhibits evident fluorescence, and the change of fluorescence intensity along with the vertical section with treating time increasing can reflect the penetration depth of the target copolymer. The introduction of the fluorescent group in polymer structure through copolymerization with a limited amount of fluorescent monomer, Ac-Flu, is an effective way to make a tracer to monitor the penetration of the target in leather, which provides a new thought for the penetration research of syntans such as vinyl copolymer materials in leather manufacture.