Effect of concentration of titanium dioxide acting as catalyst or co-catalyst on the wrinkle-resistant finishing of cotton fabric

Abstract

The wrinkle-resistant property of cotton specimens treated by 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) and catalysed by sodium hypophosphite (SHP) in the presence of TiO2 or nano-TiO2 has been evaluated in the present study. In this study, Scanning Electron Microscopy proved the presence of TiO2 or nano-TiO2 on the fibre surface. It was also found that 0.1–0.2 % TiO2 or nano-TiO2 was the optimum concentration to enhance the wrinkle-resistance of BTCA-SHP-treated cotton fabrics. In addition, the TiO2 or nano-TiO2 added in the wrinkle-resistant treatment could act as a multi-functional finishing agent to improve the UV protection property while they are safe to human skin as proved by the cytotoxicity test. Therefore, TiO2 or nano-TiO2 was evident that they could enhance the finishing performance and minimise the side effect.