Application of Aloe vera microcapsules in cotton nonwovens to obtain biofunctional textiles

Abstract

The microencapsulation of essential oils and its application in textile articles allows the aggregation of different functionalities to the substrates, imparting them antimicrobial properties, cosmetic effects, UV protection, application of drugs, among others. Therefore, the coacervation technique allows good results using starch to prepare the microcapsules. The objective of this work was the microencapsulation of Aloe Vera with cornstarch using the simple coacervation technique in cotton nonwoven fabric using butane tetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) as a binding agent. Optical and Scanning electron microscopy were performed to understand the morphology of the microcapsules obtained; thermogravimetry, to the comprehension of the thermal degradation of the microcapsules; mass gain percentage; FTIR was used to prove the interaction between nonwoven and microcapsule and finally, the CIE WI white index. The micrography allowed the observation of granular morphology, predominantly angular. The thermogravimetric curves have shown two significative thermal events: dehydration of the oil and degradation of the starch. The samples presented darker coloration; however, their quality was not compromised by the finishing. For this reason, the characterizations allowed to infer that the simple coacervation using this method is a simple process, with good results for the encapsulation of essential oils.