Search

Bioactive textiles garnered considerable attention during the COVID-19 pandemic owing to their antimicrobial properties.

Improvement in the performance and compatibility of face masks has remained the focus of researchers in recent years, especially after the emergence of the COVID pandemic. Although a lot of progress in the design, tolerability, and comfort of the mask has been reported, there are certain limitations, requiring further improvement. The present review aims to highlight the filtration efficacy, comfort, and associated characteristic of various types of face masks and respirators as a function of their design and structure. In addition, the air pollutants, their adverse effects on health, certified respirators, and face masks are also discussed. The present review also provides an insight into different types of commercially available face masks in terms of their materials, filtration efficiency, and limitations. The role of emerging trends (such as nanotechnology and high-performance polymers) in the improvement and development of face masks and respirators is also discussed.

Bleaching is one of the most highly polluting textile wet processes. High water and chemical consumption, and high volume of the resulting effluent, have huge implications for the environment. In this study, an aerosol process has been compared with the conventional process for bleaching of textile socks. In the conventional bleaching process, socks are immersed into a rotating drum filled with water to ensure uniform application of chemicals, while in the aerosol bleaching process, compressed air was mixed with the chemical solution to generate a cloud of bleaching reagents inside the rotating drum of the exhaust processing machine, using the minimum amount of water. The results show comparable whiteness results of the bleached socks, with up to 75% water saved in the aerosol beaching process as compared to the conventional bleaching process. Due to lower water consumption, the overall chemical consumption is also significantly reduced. Citric acid and silicone softener consumption of the process were reduced by 28% and 60%, respectively. The aerosol technology can be retrofitted on existing conventional machines with minimal initial investment and shows immense potential for reduction in water and chemical consumption and harmful impacts on the environment. This study aimed to align developments in the textile and apparel industry with sustainable development goals #6, 12, and 14, which are clean water and sanitation, responsible consumption and production, and life below water, respectively.

The incorporation of nanoparticles (NPs) into textile fabrics can transform ordinary products to endow the new functional characteristics owing to their interesting surface characteristics. The surface functionalization of NPs can play a key role in controlling the colloidal stability followed by interactions between substrate and NPs leading to enhanced functional characteristics. Here, the synthesis of ZnO NPs was carried out through hydrothermal method. The surface of NPs was modified using silanol and tertiary amine-based coupling agents. The functionalized NPs were characterized using zeta potential, size distribution, XRD, EDX, and FTIR. The size of prepared NPs was observed as 34 nm. The disperse stability of functionalized NPs was studied by varying the concentration of coupling agent and assessed through the ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) and antibacterial activity of the fabrics treated with functionalized NPs. The functionalized NPs exhibited stable dispersion with higher zeta potential and have a smaller size. A significant improvement in the UPF value and antibacterial activity of treated cotton fabrics was observed.

The contribution of piezoelectric materials in electrical and electronic devices is increasing day by day owing to their promising unique characteristics. Here, polyvinylidene fluoride (P VDF) film...

The rapid proliferation of electronic devices and their operation at high frequencies has raised the contamination of artificial electromagnetic radiations in the atmosphere to an unprecedented level that is responsible for catastrophe for ecology and electronic devices. Therefore, the lightweight and flexible electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials are of vital importance for controlling the pollution generated by such high-frequency EM radiations for protecting ecology and human health as well as the other nearby devices. In this regard, polymeric textile-based shielding composites have been proved to be the best due to their unique properties such as lightweight, excellent flexibility, low density, ease of processability and ease of handling. Moreover, such composites cover range of applications from everyday use to high-tech applications. Various polymeric textiles such as fibers, yarn, woven, nonwoven, knitted, as well as their hybrid composites have been extensively manipulated physically and/or chemically to act as shielding against such harmful radiations. This review encompasses from basic concept of EMI shielding for beginner to the latest research in polymeric-based textile materials synthesis for experts, covering detailed mechanisms with schematic illustration. The review also covers the gap of materials synthesis and their application on polymeric textiles which could be used for EMI shielding applications. Furthermore, recent research regarding rendering EMI shielding properties at various stages of polymeric textile development is provided for readers with critical analysis. Lastly, the applications along with environmental compliance have also been presented for better understanding.

Virus-caused public health outbreaks represent a serious threat to humans all over the world. The rampant new 2019 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has wreaked havoc on China and the rest of the world since December 2019. Now focus is on effective reduction of corona and other viral and bacterial infections in hospitals, public and private sectors, households, schools, etc. Metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, heterostructures, patterned surfaces, and graphene-based materials have shown up to 99.9998% efficacy against bacteria, mold, and viruses. The stability, long shelf life, and robustness of inorganic nanoparticles make them desirable for antimicrobial nanofinishes. These inorganic antimicrobial agents are more stable than organic antibacterial compounds at high temperature and pressure. The high specific surface area-to-volume ratios and unique physicochemical characteristics of nanoparticles are largely responsible for their antibacterial actions. But their immobilization is a huge challenge. To address this issue, NPs were modified with (glycidoxypropyl) trimethoxysilane (GPTS) and applied on cotton fabric. The silane part of GPTS reacted with the NPs under acidic conditions while epoxy reacted with cotton under alkaline conditions. Treated cotton fabric showed good antiviral and antibacterial activity even after severe industrial washing.

Bioactive textiles have garnered considerable attention during the current pandemic COVID-19 owing to their antimicrobial properties. However, the fabrication and utilization of bioactive textiles have imposed a toxic impact on the environment due to the leaching of bioactive agents during laundering. In this study, a novel functional reactive dye was synthesized with an antibacterial agent covalently linked to the triazine reactive group for simultaneous dyeing and finishing of cotton fabric. The synthesized dye was characterized by FTIR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and UV-Vis spectroscopy for structure elucidation and confirmation. The dye was applied to cotton fabric using the exhaust dyeing method. The antibacterial efficacy of the powder dye and dyed fabric against Staphylococcus Aureus and Escherichia Coli was estimated according to standard test protocols. The color strength (K/S), colorimetric data (L*, a*, b*, C*, H*) measurement, ultraviolet protection, and colorfastness properties of dyed fabric were also established and evaluated. The synthesized powder dye revealed outstanding antibacterial activity and killed 99.99% of bacteria (E. coli and S. aureus). The dyed fabric showed excellent antibacterial activity before washing and after 20 industrial laundry cycles, there was no significant reduction in antibacterial activity establishing non-leaching of antibacterial agent into environment. The dyed fabrics before and after washing showed excellent ultraviolet protection values (> 50), better dye fixation, and fastness properties. The current study has established a sustainable process to develop bioactive textiles which do not leach bioactive agent in the environment, and it is easily scalable at industrial scale.

Endowing conductive textiles for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding with dominant absorption mechanism is highly demanding. In this study, we propose a facile method of silver electroless plating on aminated graphene oxide (NH2-GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) based cotton fabric for remarkable EMI shielding performance. The successful formation of silver-plated fabrics was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). EMI shielding performance and surface resistance were studied by vector network analyzer (VNA) and four-probe digital multimeter respectively. Antibacterial activity and hydrophobicity of modified fabrics were also evaluated. Our results showed that all fabrics have good antibacterial activity, and the highest antibacterial activity was shown by silver/rGO fabric about 99.99%. Silver-plated aminated GO-based fabric exhibits low surface resistance and its EMI shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) reaches 49 dB at 7 GHz with 1.2 mm thickness as amination of GO provides more functional groups for silver electroless plating. Moreover, these modified fabrics have higher SEA rather than SER that verifying the absorption characteristic of material. Thus, the remarkable EMI shielding performance of silver-plated NH2-GO fabrics tends to make significant progress in eliminating electromagnetic radiations pollution from our environment.

In recent years there is progressive research conducted on modification of textile and nanoparticles for long-lasting performances without compromising the sensorial and non-sensorial comfort. The appropriate finishing treatment of textile is of great concern to impart comfort along with durable multifunctional characters. The main objective of this study was to achieve the durable functionality without compromising the comfort and physical properties of cotton fabric. TiO2 nanoparticles have been modified with two different silane coupling agents such as (3-Glycidoxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (GPTS) and 1,2-Bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane (BTSE) using different concentrations. The modified nanoparticles were characterized using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to confirm the modification and fixing of chemicals at the surface. Modified nanoparticles were applied on textile by pad-dry-cure method. The treated cotton fabrics were washed to confirm the adhesion of nanoparticles after several washing cycles. The durable ultraviolet (UV) blocking capabilities were analyzed before and after washing. Then, comfort properties were evaluated and compared to made selection of best silane coupling agent having minimum effect on inherent properties of cotton textiles.

Due to growing environmental concerns, the research on coloration of textiles with reactive dyes is gaining special attention nowadays because of their maximum usage, excellent wet fastness and fri...

PurposeThis review deals with the pros and cons of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on human beings and the role of textile clothing and the chemicals used for textiles to protect from their harmful effects.Design/methodology/approachUV radiation (UVR) which has further divided into UVA, UVB, and UVC. Almost 100% of UVC and major portion of UVB are bounced back to stratosphere by ozone layer while UVA enters the earth atmosphere. Excessive exposure of solar or artificial UVR exhibit potential risks to human health. UVR is a major carcinogen and excessive exposure of solar radiation in sunlight can cause cancer in the lip, skin squamous cell, basal cell and cutaneous melanoma, particularly in people with the fair skin.FindingsThis article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the harmful effects of UVR on human skin, factors affecting UV irradiance and factors affecting UV protection offered by textile clothing.Originality/valueEffect of fiber properties, yarn properties, fabric construction, fabric treatments and laundering has been reviewed along with the identification of gaps in the reported research. A comparison of inorganic and organic UV absorbers has also been given along with different testing and evaluation methods for UV protective clothing.

Synthesis and modification of nanoparticles to make them suitable to functionalise a substrate for various application fields involves many steps, which are complex, time-consuming, and sometimes require special equipment. This is a major drawback to meet rapid technological requirements. In this work, a procedure has been developed to modify TiO2 nanoparticles by the sol-gel method at their synthesis stage using titanium tetraisopropoxide and modifying agents including ODS and GPTMS. The prepared nanoparticle finish can be used as it is without any further processing, thus eliminating the need for extra steps required to decorate them on some substrate. The nanoparticles were characterised by SEM, EDX, FTIR, XRD, and zeta potential. The adhesion of the obtained nanoparticles was tested by applying them to a cellulosic substrate. The obtained substrate was subjected to mechanical action and adhesion efficiency was estimated on the basis of UV transmittance and antibacterial properties that showed excellent results. The hydrophobic properties of the obtained nanoparticles were assessed by measuring water contact angles, which reached 157.9°, indicating their superhydrophobic nature. The developed procedure is facile and will be suitable for the engineering of multiple surfaces.

Purpose This study aims to deal with the dyeing of nylon-/cotton-blended fabric in one bath using direct and acid dyes. Design/methodology/approach The cellulose in cotton/nylon-blended fabric was chemically modified using 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl tri-methyl ammonium chloride (CHPTAC) as cationizing agent to impart positive charge on the cellulose. The modified and unmodified blended fabrics were dyed in a single bath with direct and acid dyes under various concentrations of 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 6 per cent on the weight of fabric by exhaust method. The dyeing of modified and unmodified fabrics was characterized through the properties such as K/S and colorfastness to washing, rubbing and light. Findings The modified fabric exhibited higher color yield, comparable rubbing fastness and good washing fastness. Originality/value The dye uptake was maximum in a single-bath dyeing process of nylon-/cotton-blended fabrics without electrolyte addition, which minimizes the impact of dyes on environment.

In this research work, we have studied the dyeing behaviour of fabrics made from ring, rotor and MVS yarns. The discrete structure of respective yarns made by different spinning techniques have significant effect on dyeing behaviour of fabrics. The fabrics were investigated for K/S values of polyester dyed, cotton dyed and polyester+cotton dyed fabrics and their colour fastness to crocking. The analysis of dyeing behaviour revealed that yarn manufacturing technique has substantial effect on the colour strength of their respective fabrics. Due to unique distribution of fibers within the crosssection of yarn, the cotton dyed and polyester+cotton dyed fabrics made from MVS yarns exhibited better K/S values as compared to other fabrics. The fabrics also exhibited a difference in colour fastness to crocking in dry and wet form. The color fastness of fabrics to crocking in dry form were found higher than in wet form. The polyester dyed and polyester+cotton dyed fabrics made from MVS yarns have shown higher color fastness to crocking.

Conductive fabrics are widely used in electronic devices and electronic applications. Most the conductive fabrics are made by the coating of conductive materials on textile materials, but no one has considered the effect of the base/substrate on the conductivity. The base of conductive material is the key factor in its effectiveness. The concentration of the binder also plays a significant role in the conductivity. In this research, conductive fabrics were prepared by coating them with silver nanoparticles. Three diverse types of fabrics were selected: cotton, polyester, and nylon. Silver nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of the fabric by the dip and dry method. The effect of three different molarities of silver nitrate, and three different binder concentrations, on the electrical conductivity was investigated. The influence of washing on the conductivity was also measured. Scanning electron microscopy was carried out to analyze the surface of the fabric. The results showed that conductivity is directly affected by the molarity of silver nitrate and an inverse relationship was found for the binder concentration. The maximum conductivity obtained was 208 × 10−5 Siemens/cm. It was also observed that the conductivity decreases after washing. Further, it was also noted that the increase in binder concentration improved the washing fastness. These conductive fabrics find their application in various fields, including EMI shielding, lightweight batteries and molecular electronic devices.

Importance of multifunctional finishing of textiles is increasing day by day due to greater consumer demand. Cross-linker is one of the commonly used finishes agent to impart functionality in textiles. In this research work the performance of the formaldehyde free carboxylic acid based eco-friendly cross-linkers; citric acid (CA) and maleic acid (MA) was enhanced by incorporating three different types of metal oxides nanoparticle (ZnO, MgO and CaO). Two different fixation methods of pad-dry-cure with and without UV irradiation were used. ZnO along with CA and MA was found to be most effective in increasing crease recovery performance of the cotton fabric followed by MgO while CaO was found to be ineffective. Fabric tear strength was also improved by the incorporation of these nanoparticles. Additionally, incorporation of these nanoparticles exhibited improvement in the fabric handle and antimicrobial properties.

M-aramid fibers have very good flame-retardant properties and are mostly used in protective textiles such as racing or firefighter suits. The dyeing and fastness properties of m-aramid fibers are investigated in this article in a batch process to optimize dyeing parameters such as dye concentration, salt, swelling agent, and temperature. The exhaustion at an acidic pH, preferably in the range of 4–5, indicated good results. The color yield of m-aramid fibers was found to be dependent on the concentration of swelling agent, salt, and dye, as well as the dyeing temperature. The effect of swelling agent on the K/S of m-aramid fibers with cationic dyes, along with their fastness properties, is investigated and reported in detail.

The current study was focused on the development of electrically conductive composites of carbon particle filled cotton fabric/epoxy systems. The carbon particles were refined to the scale ...

The research in textiles is being driven by ecology, economy, and functionality. Therefore, the present research is focused on the development of multifunctional textiles that consume minimum energy during their processing, eco-friendly chemicals for functionalization, and use short processing steps. Eco-friendly cross-linkers such as butanetetracarboxylic acid and zinc oxide nanoparticles are used to impart wrinkle recovery, antibacterial activity, ultraviolet (UV) protection, bending rigidity, and antistatic properties to cotton fabric just in one step. The treated fabric has been characterized with Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometer, scanning electron microscope, and X-ray diffractometer. Wrinkle recovery, tear strength, antibacterial activity, UV protection, and antistatic properties were tested with AATCC 66-1990, ASTM D 1224, AATCC 147, AATCC 183, and UNI EN 1149, respectively. The treated fabric shows excellent functional properties up to 20 washing cycles.

One of the main limitations to using nanoparticles in textiles is the durability when applied to different textile substrates for various applications. The present work is focused on development of highly durable superhydrophobic and antibacterial cotton fabric. For this, silica nanoparticles have been modified with different concentrations of 3-(Trimethoxysilyl) propyl-N,N,N-dimethyloctadecyl ammonium chloride and 3-Glycidoxypropyl)trimethoxy-silane, and applied to cotton fabric using pad-dry-cure method. The modified nanoparticles and treated fabric are analysed using SEM, FTIR, TGA, zeta potential analyser and AFM. Superhydrophobicity has been characterized by measuring water contact angle before and after various washing cycles. The antibacterial activity has been measured by qualitative and quantitative methods. The results show that the fabric retains superhydrophobicity and antibacterial activity even after 20 industrial washing cycles while, preserving low stress mechanical and surface properties of the treated fabric.

The demand of cotton is increasing but its low production rate cannot fulfill the world requirements. The increase in cotton demand has augmented the production of regenerated cellulosic fibers. Furthermore, cotton has proved to be unsustainable because of the use of huge amount of fresh water, pesticides and insecticides. The purpose of this work is to find out the suitable blend/blends of regenerated fibers so as to replace 100% cotton fabrics. Therefore, mechanical and comfort properties of Tencel fabrics blended with other regenerated cellulose fibers have been compared with 100% cotton to achieve the equivalent or even better end properties. Hence, cotton, viscose, Tencel, modal, and bamboo fibers were taken. Plain woven blended fabrics of 100% cotton and 50:50 blends of Tencel with other regenerated fibers were prepared from normal yarn count of 20 tex. The mechanical properties (warp-wise and weft-wise tensile and tear strengths, pilling, and abrasion resistance) and the comfort properties including air permeability, moisture management properties, and thermal resistance were evaluated. It is found that Tencel blended fabrics show better results than 100% cotton fabrics. Therefore, it is concluded that Tencel blended with these regenerated fabrics can be used to replace 100% cotton fabrics.

Specific plasma engineering based synthesis can induce interesting photocatalytic antibacterial activities in TiO2 films. This work presents the combination of pulsed DC (PDC) plasma with inductively coupled plasma (ICP) to synthesize undoped and nitrogen doped (N-doped) TiO2 thin films using magnetron sputtering. The surface properties of resulting films were systematically analyzed in detail and correlated to the photocatalytic antibacterial activity against Gram negative Escherichia coli (E.coli). The addition of ICP source to PDC discharge generated TiO2 films with enriched surface roughness due to the bombardment of highly activated species on the substrate. The ICP assisted films exhibited the morphology of nanoclusters with clear defined boundaries, higher O content and higher surface wettability. It was found that the films deposited with N-doping and addition of ICP source significantly increased the eradication of bacteria both in dark as well as in white light (artificial indoor light). Higher antibacterial activity of N-doped TiO2 films in white light has been explained by photocatalytic degradation mechanism.

Prolonged drying times of terry fabrics is a problem as they can not be re-used until completely dry. To resolve this issue, we have designed a sandwich polyester in the mid-layer with low moisture content that could reduce the drying time with excellent wicking properties. These fabrics are widely used as activewear and sportswear. The effect of different softeners on the moisture management properties of weft-knitted terry fabrics’ for various applications has also been studied. Terry knitted fabrics were prepared using a circular knitting machine. Six different softeners were applied with three different concentrations, i.e., 10 g/L, 15 g/L, and 20 g/L, on the fabric using the pad-dry-cure method. Moisture management tests and rubbing fastness tests were performed to analyze the applied softener’s effect on the fabric comfort and moisture management performance. Results revealed that softener type (i.e., cationic, anionic, and non-ionic) and concentration levels considerably affect the moisture management capability of terry knitted fabrics.

Phase change materials (PCMs) are widely being used in thermal energy storage systems for solar engineering, building materials, heat pumps, spacecraft, and in textile field especially smart and te...

The disposal of colored textile effluent into canals, rivers and sea has adverse effect on aquatic plants and animal life due to reduced penetration of sunlight into water. The aim of this study was to investigate the color removal of textile dyeing effluents with voltage-assisted photocatalytic activity of carbon fabrics containing ZnO nanorods. ZnO nanorods were grown on the oxidized carbon fabric samples by seeding technique using zinc acetate dihydrate and NaOH, followed by hydrothermal process using zinc nitrate hexahydrate (Zn(NO 3 ) 2 ·6H 2 O) and hexamethylenetetramine (C 6 H 12 N 4 ). The surface morphology of functionalized carbon fabric was characterized using scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and X-ray diffractometer. It was found that the degradation of dyes in aqueous solutions, with voltage-assisted photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanorods on carbon fabrics, follows Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics. The study concludes that increase in the applied voltage significantly increases the rate of degradation of dyes by enhancing the photocatalytic activity of carbon fabrics containing ZnO nanorods.

This paper is focused on the development of novel 3D woven flax composites for improved mechanical performance. The 3D woven interlock fabrics were produced on dobby loom using novel weaving patter...

The addition of nanofillers in high-performance reinforcement results in the formation of hybrid composites. The objective of this research is to determine the effect of silica nanofillers loading ...

In this research work, multifunctional cotton fabric comprising of UV protection, superhydrophobicity and antibacterial activity has been developed using facile pad-dry-cure method. In the first step, the concentration of repellent chemical has been optimized. Then, formulations containing nanoparticles of ZnO or TiO2 along with optimized concentration of repellent chemical and organic-inorganic binder have been applied to cotton fabric followed by the evaluation of functional properties. The surface morphology and elemental composition of treated fabric has been characterized through SEM and EDX, respectively. The treated samples have shown promising UV protection, superhydrophobicity and antibacterial properties durable upto 20 washing cycles.

Nowadays, there is less emphasis on the aesthetic traits of textiles and more on their functionality. Traditionally functional textiles are prepared in two steps including dyeing and then finishing. This adds extra cost to the process through more energy consumption and water effluent. Current research deals with a single bath application of antibacterial finish with reactive dyeing. L-cysteine (L-cys) is a natural defensive thiolated amino acid found in many living organisms and is applied to cotton fabric through simple conventional reactive dyeing method. Fabrics with L-cys were assessed against both Escherichia Coli and Staphylococcus Aureus strains and promising results were found containing antibacterial activity up to 20 washes. The fastness properties of antimicrobial dyed fabrics were unaffected when compared with control samples. However, shade depth (k/s) was decreased with increasing amount of antibacterial agent while control samples showed highest value. This proposed process reduces chemical- and energy consumption, as well as water effluent.

The increasing demand of cotton and low production rate to fulfill the world requirements boosted the production of regenerated cellulose-based fibers. The purpose of this work was to compa...