N-halamine-bonded cotton fabric with antimicrobial and easy-care properties

N-halamine precursor 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl piperidinol (TMP), a hindered amine light stabilizer, was bonded onto cotton fabric by using 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) as a crosslinking agent. A variety of treating conditions including TMP concentration, curing temperature and time, and catalyst were studied. The treated fabrics were characterized using FTIR spectra and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The cotton fabric treated with TMP precursor could be rendered biocidal upon exposure to dilute household bleach. The chlorinated cotton swatches showed great efficacy and inactivated 100 % of Staphylococcus aureus with 7.1 log reduction with 5 min of contact and 83.25 % of E. coli O157:H7 at 10 min of contact. In addition, the wrinkle recovery angle of the treated cotton fabrics increased from 229 ° of untreated cotton fabrics to 253 °. This study provided a practical finishing process to produce cotton fabrics with easy care and antibacterial functionalities at the same time.     

Objective measurement of hand properties of plasma pre-treated cotton fabrics subjected to flame-retardant finishing catalyzed by zinc oxide

In the present paper, flame resistance property is imparted to cotton fabrics by N-methylol dimethylphos-phonopropionamide (Pyrovatex CP New, FR), melamine resin (Knittex CHN, CL), phosphoric acid catalyst (PA), and ZnO/nano-ZnO co-catalyst. The study shows that effectiveness of the FR-CL-PA reaction to form a crosslinked structure is enhanced by the co-catalytic reaction, resulting in enhancement of fabric’s compressional recovering ability. However, the low pH reaction weakened the fabrics, resulting in poor tensile strength and toughness, stiffer hand feel, brittle and tendered polymer layers, a less spongy fabric structure, and a roughened fabric surface with fuzzy fibrils. In addition, atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) was used to enhance materials properties by sputtering or etching effect. The roughening effect of plasma treatment enhances tensile properties of treated specimens. Nevertheless, the positive effect is negligible after post-treatment with flame-retardant agents. Moreover, the increased inter-yarn friction enhances the subjective stiffness of fabric and the rigid effect is even worse for plasma pre-treated cotton specimens subjected to flame-retardant treatment. However, plasma pre-treated specimens have a compressible structure after post-treatment with flame-retardant agents. Moreover, neutralization of flame-retardant-treated specimens helps minimize side effects of acidic finishing, irrespective of tensile and compression properties. The process also minimizes shear and bending rigid effect by removing unattached metal oxides from the fabrics.     

The allylamine grafting on the plasma pre-treated polyester nonwoven fabric: Preparation, characterization and utilization

This article describes the novel possibility of the polyester (polyethylene terephthalate) surface modification by plasma treatment. Moreover, this modified polyester could be component for the composite material (with hyaluronic acid) used in the wound healing. In this study, the experimental methods: FT-IR spectroscopy, the contact angle measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used for the surface modified polyester characterisation.     

Synthesis of HBP-HTC and its application to cotton fabric as an antimicrobial auxiliary

A quaternary ammonium compound, 2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride amino-terminated hyper-branched polymer (HBP-HTC), was synthesized from an amino-terminated hyperbranched polymer (HBP-NH₂) and 2,3-epoxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride (EPTAC) as a grafting agent in aqueous solution. Its molecular weight and possible structure were characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-NMR). The cotton fabric was treated with 2 g/l HBP-HTC aqueous solution for 30 min at room temperature to provide the cotton fabric with antimicrobial properties. The antimicrobial activities of the HBP-HTC aqueous solutions and the HBP-HTC treated cotton fabrics were evaluated quantitatively. The results indicated that the HBP-HTC treated cotton fabric showed 99.92 % reduction of bacteria S. aureus and 99.66 % reduction of bacteria E. coli, respectively. The antimicrobial activities of the HBP-HTC treated cotton fabrics were maintained at over 99.00 % reduction level even after being exposed to 20 consecutive home laundering conditions.     

Preparation and characterizations of polypyrrole on liquid ammonia pre-treated wool fabric

Wool fabric was treated with liquid ammonia at -40 °C for 30 and 60 s prior to the application of polypyrrole (PPy). The polymer was deposited on wool fiber using the chemical oxidation method with 0.02 and 0.05 mol/l (Py) monomer concentration and FeCl₃ as a catalyst. Functional groups of wool samples were analyzed using FT-IR, and surface morphology was investigated using SEM micrographs. Properties such as water absorbency, surface resistivity, abrasion resistance, weight add-on, and air permeability of coated specimens were explored. The FT-IR outcomes revealed the liquid ammonia pre-treatment changed the amount of amide I (NH), cystic acid, cystic monoxide, and dioxide content of the fiber. SEM micrographs revealed the descaling of wool surface after pre-treatment and smooth coating of polymer. Pre-treatment of wool in liquid ammonia improved absorbency of wool fabric with respect to the treatment duration. The surface resistivity of wool fabric decreased with the increase of monomer concentration and pre-treatment duration. The results of abrasion resistance confirmed that the pre-treated fabric exhibited lower loss of polymer after 200 cycles of abrasion. The weight of the fabric was increased and air permeability decreased when the monomer concentration and liquid ammonia pre-treatment duration was increased.     

Influence of low temperature plasma treatment on the properties of ink-jet printed cotton fabric

The aim of this paper is to study the possibility and effectiveness of applying LTP treatment to enhance the performance of pre-treatment paste containing sodium alginate so as to improve the properties of the ink-jet printed cotton fabric. Experimental results revealed that the LTP pre-treatment in couple with the ink-jet printing technique could improve the final printed properties of cotton fabric.     

An investigation of color fading of sulfur-dyed cotton fabric by plasma treatment

Popularity of clothing with different kinds of faded color effects has been growing in recent years, leading to development of several technologies and techniques for imparting the vintage and old-fashion look. However, most color fading technologies and processes involve use of significant quantities of chemicals and water, raising concerns about environmental pollution, and other related problems. It is quite difficult to control the color fading effect on textile products. Plasma treatment has been used for color fading of cotton apparel quite successfully in the last few years. Air is used as the color fading agent and therefore no chemical effluents are generated. This study examines color fading of sulfur dyed cotton fabrics with plasma treatment. Cotton fabrics (yellow color) dyed with sulfur dyes were plasma treated under varying conditions and the resultant color fading effect was evaluated instrumentally. The color fading effect was found to be quite controllable if the treatment parameters were properly selected. Besides, evenness of the end product was excellent.     

Dyeing and DP treatment of sol-gel pre-treated cotton fabrics

Cotton samples were pre-treated with various sol solutions containing different alkoxysilanes (TEOS, GPTMS, APTES, and TESP-SA). The as-prepared cotton samples were dyed with 2 % owf Red and 4 % owf Blue. Furthermore, dyed cotton samples were after-treated with the alkoxysilanes. The alkoxysilane were also incorporated into the dyeing bath. The as- prepared cotton samples were subjected to a treatment with the non-formaldehyde durable press finishing agent BTCA in conjunction with the catalyst SHP. The textile materials were evaluated with respect to the colorimetric data (L*, a*, b*, ΔE*) and the color strength expressed in terms of K/S values. Tensile strength and dry crease recovery angles of the durable pressfinished samples were measured. The findings indicate that APTES and TESP-SA exert a significant influence on the color properties.     

Effect of various shapes of zinc oxide nanoparticles on cotton fabric for UV-blocking and anti-bacterial properties

Various shapes of ZnO — multi-petals, rod and spherical — were prepared and then applied on cotton fabric for UV-blocking and anti-bacterial properties. The ZnO particles were investigated by XRD and SEM. The as-prepared suspension was applied onto cotton fabrics via the pad-dry-cure process at 150 °C. The characteristics of the fabric coating were investigated by SEM, XRD and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). The UV-blocking effectiveness was measured with a UV-Vis spectrophotometer whilst the antibacterial activity was determined using the AATCC 147 method. The results of XRD and SEM on the ZnO powders show that we can produce various shapes of ZnO. The investigation by SEM and AAS clearly revealed that ZnO was effectively deposited on the cotton surface and that the adhesion was retained after washing ten cycles. The sphericals-shaped ZnO and multi-petals shaped ZnO coated fabrics show excellent UV-blocking properties. All treated samples showed good antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus Aureus. The shape of ZnO shows no considerable effect on antibacterial properties.     

A study of the oxygen plasma treatment on the serviceability of a wool fabric

Low temperature plasma (LTP) treatment using oxygen gas was applied to a wool fabric. The LTP treated wool fabric was tested with several methods: ASTM D5035-1995, ASTM D1424-1996, AATCC Test Method 99-2000, AATCC Test Method 61-2001 1A, AATCC Test Method 15-2002 and AATCC Test Method 8-2001 and the results were compared with the industrial requirements (ASTM D3780-02 and ASTM D4155-01). The results revealed that the LTP treated wool fabric could fulfil the industrial requirements. The results of the investigation were discussed thoroughly in this paper.     

Colour fading effect of indigo-dyed cotton denim fabric by CO2 laser

In this study, denim fabric was treated with CO₂ laser under different combination of laser process parameters, i.e. resolution and pixel time, in different irradiation directions, i.e. warp and weft directions. Experimental results revealed that the laser power increased with increment of resolution and pixel time. The colour fading effect was increased with the increase of laser power but an optimum colour fading effect was achieved. Meanwhile, the colour levelness of the laser treated denim fabric was good according to quantitative measurement. However, it was noted that the direction of laser irradiation did not affect the colour fading effect and colour levelness.     

全球棉花及棉纺织品和服装零售的趋势

1全球棉价走势 全球棉价的长期平均值为每磅72美分。自1995年WTO农业协议生效以来，全球棉价持续走低，2001年跌至每磅42美分左右，是29年以来的最低水平（见图1）。仅在2003年11月棉价才在短期内突破76美分（见图2）。随后又急剧下跌，于2004年12月跌至每磅43美分。棉价上涨的主要原因是棉价触底后。全球棉花库存持续减少，供需失衡造成的。近期棉价（2005年11月17日）维持在每磅56美分左右。     

Salt-free dyeability of thiourea grafted cotton fabric

In this study salt-free dyeing cotton fabric was achieved by grafting thiourea to cotton fibers, where the thiourea grafted cotton fabric (TUGCF) was prepared by epoxidizing cotton fibers with epichlorohydrin in water and subsequently grafting in aqueous solution of thiourea. Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) and XPS of the TUGCF indicated that a great amount of epoxy groups from the epoxidized cotton fibers reacted with amino groups from thiourea. The TUGCF fabric prepared at the optimum condition and subsequently dyed with reactive dyes in the absence of salt displayed significantly enhanced color strength, showing better dyeing properties when compared with the untreated cotton fabric dyed with conventional methods, in terms of washing fastness, rubbing fastness, and levelness. It was found that the dyeing performance of Reactive Red B-3BF followed a Langmuir-type adsorption curve when used to salt-free dye the TUGCF.     

UV protective properties of cotton fabric treated with plasma,UV absorber,and reactive dye

The influence of water vapor plasma on the adsorption of UV absorber during the reactive dyeing of bleached and mercerized cotton fabric was examined. Exhaust dyeing of untreated and plasma-treated cotton was performed using a reactive dye Cibarcon Deep Red S-B and a commercial UV absorber Tinofast CEL. Blank dyeing was performed as a control experiment. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to identify the presence of the UV absorber on the cotton fabric, whereas scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to analyze surface changes of untreated and plasma-treated dyed samples. The CIELAB color values and ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of the samples were determined spectrophotometrically. Wash and light fastness of samples was performed also. The results reveal that the UPF of cotton increases after UV absorber treatment and that plasma treatment increases the adsorption of UV absorber during dyeing process, especially at higher dye concentrations. The enhanced adsorption of UV absorber onto plasma-treated cotton is the result of the increased concentration of oxygen containing functional groups on the cotton surface after plasma treatment, confirmed by XPS. The UPF of plasma-treated cotton samples is decreased after washing and increased after exposure to xenon light.     

The effect of the pretreatment print paste contents on colour yield of an ink-jet printed cotton fabric

Optimum condition concerning the content of pretreatment print paste and steaming time for ink-jet printing was newly developed through the orthogonal analysis. The cotton fabric treated under the newly developed optimum condition could achieve a high level of colour yield similar to that of the commercially pretreated cotton fabric available in the market for ink-jet printing. The results were discussed thoroughly in this paper.     

An extensive look into the effect of mercerization treatment on dimensional properties of cotton plain knitted fabric

Following our previous research [1], an extensive investigation on the effects of four mercerization treatment parameters namely, alkali concentration, time of treatment, bath temperature, and mercerization tension on dimensional properties of plain knitted fabric produced from cotton yarn is presented in this paper. Numerical values of constant geometry of the dry relaxed, wet relaxed, and mercerized samples were calculated according to Munden’s equations. Study shows that the area geometry constant values (K _s ) achieved after mercerization treatment was higher than values obtained for the samples subjected to dry and wet relaxations. Also, ANOVA test confirmed significant effects of each parameter itself and their interactions on dimensional properties of the fabric samples. Based on the results, applying less value of tension improves dimensional stability of the fabric but not for the samples mercerized in higher values of three other parameters. The alkali concentration had an optimum value in mercerization treatment. In mercerizing conditions carried out in high temperature and long time, lower alkali concentration is more efficient. Increasing time of treatment leads to achieve higher K _s value when lower value of alkali concentration is used. Most of the samples mercerized in bath temperature of 40 °C had the highest K _s . At the end of the research a statistical model was derived to predict the area geometry constant of the fabric.     

A two-bath method for digital ink-jet printing of cotton fabric with chitosan

In our previous research, the possibility of using chitosan in preparing the pretreatment print paste for digital ink-jet printing for cotton fabric was investigated but the final color was not good as expected. In this paper, we modified our previous work by applying the chitsoan separately on the cotton fabric for digital ink-jet printing. A two-bath method was thus proposed and it was confirmed that a better color yield was achieved with this method. However, the use of chitosan reduced the tensile strength of the digital ink-jet printed fabric slightly.     

Improving wrinkle resistance of cotton fabric by montmorillonite

Cotton fabric was treated with montmorillonite (MMT) so as to evaluate its effectiveness on improving its wrinkle resistance. The MMT in emulsion form was applied to cotton fabric by padding and finally the wrinkle resistance of the MMT-treated cotton fabric was improved. Furthermore, instrumental methods were used for studying the presence of MMT particles on the cotton fabric surface. It was noted that nano-scale MMT particles adhered on the fiber surface and the particle size played an important role in influencing the wrinkle resistance of the cotton fabric. The experimental results are discussed thoroughly in this paper.     

Skin friendly antimicrobial characterization of natural glycyrrhiza extract on fabric

An attempt has been made in this paper to investigate antimicrobial property of glycyrrhiza extract on cotton fabric. Uniform glycyrrhiza powders were obtained by superfine grinding. The particle size distribution of powders was mostly around 1 μm. Effects of ultrasonic on dispersion capability of glycyrrhiza powders were investigated. With the extension of ultrasonic time the value of zeta potential decreased significantly from ?22 to ?31 mV. Flavanone compounds which exhibit inhibitory effects against multiple viruses were extracted by ethanol from superfine glycyrrhiza powders. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to test the antibacterial properties of the fabrics treated by glycyrrhiza extract. The results showed that the inhibition rates against S. aureus and E. coli were 81.75 and 73.81 % respectively indicating that the finished fabrics exhibited good antibacterial property. It retained about 30 % of its inhibition to S. aureus after 10 cycles of laundering. However, the fabrics treated with sol of glycyrrhiza exhibited more resistance to washing with 71.43 % inhibition rate after 5 times washing. The whiteness index of glycyrrhiza exact treated fabrics decreased from 93.28 to 90.22 % indicating that glycyrrhiza exact had little influence on the whiteness of fabrics.