Interchain entanglement and longitudinal distribution of linear polyether silicone softeners and their composites: effects on tactile properties of cotton fabrics

A review on influential behaviour of biopolishing on dyeability and certain physico-mechanical properties of cotton fabrics

In this study, cotton fiber fabrics were coated with polyacrylate-based polymer paste containing huntite–hydromagnesite by knife over roll process. The flame retardancy properties of the cotton fabrics were tested according to vertical flame test, limit oxygen index (LOI) test, smoldering cigarette and match flame tests. Thermal behavior of cotton fabrics was investigated by DTA–TG analysis. The antibacterial activities of coated cotton fabrics were qualitatively determined according to AATCC Method 147. Mechanical properties of cotton fabrics were evaluated with the help of tear strength, abrasion strength, thickness and stiffness measurements. Air permeability, UV protection and color properties were also investigated. Free formaldehyde content of the coatings on cotton fabrics were determined according to Japanese Law 112. The microstructural properties of cotton fabrics were characterized using SEM and FTIR (ATR) analysis. Furthermore, the mineral content and mean particle size value of huntite–hydromagnesite were also determined with X-ray fluorescence spectrometer and particle size analyzer. The flame retardancy and antibacterial properties of the cotton fabrics were improved after coating with acrylate-based polymer paste containing huntite–hydromagnesite. Mechanical properties such as tear strength of the cotton fabric decreased after coating process however huntite–hydromagnesite addition into coating paste did not lead to further increase on the tear strength loss of cotton fabric. Despite this, the resultant maximum abrasion cycles significantly increased following coating process application. Furthermore, colorimetric properties such as whiteness and lightness of cotton fabric did not significantly change after applied coating processes. SEM and FTIR analyses confirmed the constancy of microstructure of cotton fibers after coating process.

In this study, the effect of cellulose coating on dyeing and other properties of cotton fabric was investigated. Three different reactive dyes were used for dyeing coated cotton fabric. The effect of cellulose coating on the dyeing properties of cotton fabric was studied by determining the K/S values of coated substrate at different concentrations of cellulose and dye. The K/S value decreased by 40–60 % with increasing coating concentration of cellulose from 0 to 5 %. The results show that the stiffness was increased from 0.16 to 2.50 N/m by coating of cellulose on the surface of cotton fabric. The stiffness was permanent as confirmed by ten multiple washings. Mechanical properties remained excellent. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the amount of cellulose II increased slightly after solvent treatment. Fastness properties of cellulose-coated cotton fabrics against rubbing, washing, and perspiration were good.

In this study, the effect of corona discharge treatment on the physical and mechanical properties of bleached cotton and polyester-cotton fabrics were investigated. For this purpose, the samples were treated by corona discharge at two levels of voltage 5 and 10 kV, and at various duration times of plasma, ca. 1.4, 2.1 and 3.5 min. The corona discharge treatment was applied on the fabric samples before and after bleaching treatment. The results show that the corona influences on the surface morphology, breaking strength, air permeability, abrasion resistance, and pilling of cotton and polyester-cotton fabrics. Moreover, the levels of voltage and duration of plasma have a different effect on the properties of fabrics.

Improving easy care properties of cotton fabric via dual effect of ester and ionic crosslinking

The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of spent coffee extract to enhance the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of cotton fabrics. Spent coffee collected after brewing using an espresso machine was extracted with 60% methanol solution, and the extract was applied to cotton fabrics through a pad-dry-cure process. Of the compounds identified in the spent coffee extract, caffeine (381.09 μg/mL) was the most abundant, followed by chlorogenic acid (213.93 μg/mL) and trigonelline (155.20 μg/mL). The cotton fabrics finished with the spent coffee extract showed a slight increase in yellowness. In addition, the antioxidant activity increased proportional to the concentration of the spent coffee extract. The cotton fabrics finished with the spent coffee extract inhibited the growth of Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus but did not significantly affect the growth of Gram-negative Klebsiella pneumoniae. These results show that spent coffee can be used as a natural finishing agent for cotton to improve the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the fabric.

A new catalyst system using DMDHEU as a crosslinking reagent to improve the durable press (DP) properties of cotton fabric is described. Cotton cellulose fabric was crosslinked with DMDHEU in the presence of mixed catalysts Al2(SO4) 3.16H2O and citric acid in constant and varying proportions. Cotton fabric was also crosslinked in the presence of a single catalyst as well as a conventional catalyst. Resin finished samples were cured at 140 and 160°C separately. Crosslinked cotton fabric and control samples were evaluated for various physicochemical properties such as resin add-on, nitrogen content, DP rating, wrinkle recovery angle, breaking strength, tearing strength, and abrasion resistance. Relationships between various properties are also discussed. Use of mixed catalyst in constant and varying proportions in the resin finishing treatment improved durable press and wear properties of fabrics compared to the samples crosslinked in the presence of a single catalyst. Fabric samples cured at 140°C showed higher strength retention and flex abrasion values compared to the samples cured at 160°C. Better results in DP ratings and physical properties were attributed to the complex formation.

PurposeMercerization is one of the finishing treatments that often are used to improve the dye uptake properties and increase cotton fabrics' luster. Since comfort is a necessity of clothing and customers desire it more than ever, the finishing treatments that improve some properties of the fabric should not reduce clothing comfort. The aim of this paper was to investigate the effect of cold mercerization on the comfort properties of cotton fabrics.Design/methodology/approachA total of 15 woven fabric samples in different structures were randomly chosen. The samples were divided into two groups: the finished fabrics (i.e. those which were run through singing, desizing, and bleaching processes) and the mercerized fabrics (i.e. samples which underwent the singing, desizing, bleaching and mercerizing processes). The mechanical and thermo‐physiological comfort properties of these two groups were evaluated and results were compared.FindingsThe results showed that bending rigidity, shearing rigidity, air permeability, water vapour transmission and thermal resistance increased by cold mercerization. Moreover, frictional restraint, extensibility and wicking decreased. In other words, mercerization can improve some comfort properties of cotton fabrics and weaken the others.Originality/valueThe current literatures don't consider the effect of mercerization on the clothing comfort. The present work intends to evaluate the effect of cold mercerization on the mechanical (tactile) and thermo‐physiological comfort properties of cotton fabrics which are used as summer clothing.

Preparation and properties of super hydrophobic cotton fabric constructed by modified nano-SiO2 hybrid fluoro-epoxy copolymer

We have investigated the effects of reactive and organofunctional silicone softeners and silane coupling agents on the performance properties of cotton fabrics. The silicone softeners were aminofunctional polydimethylsiloxane, reactive polydimethylsiloxane of high viscosity, and hydroxy-end-blocked reactive polydimethylsiloxane of low vis cosity. A cationic softener, distearyldimethylammonium chloride, was also used for comparison. Methyltrimethoxysilane, glycidoxy (epoxy) propyltrimethoxysilane, vi nyltriethoxysilane, and aminoethylaminopropyltrimethoxysilane were the coupling agents. Cotton fabric samples were treated with a pad-dry-cure process from an aqueous bath containing the softener and other additives. The results indicate that silicone softeners provide better durable press performance with a higher retention of me chanical properties and durability compared with the cationic softener. In addition, the type of reactive group, the viscosity, and the adsorption mechanism of the softener, as well as treatment conditions such as curing temperature, are crucial factors affecting the performance properties of the treated fabrics. Furthermore, the study of the silane coupling agent revealed that it plays an important role in improving the durability and performance of silicone softeners, especially the linear reactive type. The results also suggest that improvements in wrinkle recovery are mainly due to the formation of an elastic silicone polymer network, which entrapps fibers within its matrix, thus improving the fabric's ability to recover from deformation.

The purpose of the work is to study the effect of styrene-acrylic polymer coatings on the change in physical, mechanical and hygienic properties of cotton fabric. Aqueous dispersions of styrene-acrylic polymers (Lacrytex 640, Akratam AS 02.1, Tubifast AS 4010) were selected as the object of study. The processing of cotton fabric was carried out by the method of impregnation with varying a concentration of the studied polymers in finishing bath from 50 g/l to 150 g/l, followed by drying and heat setting. Standardized methods for studying the properties of textile materials were applied. The effect of polymer coatings on the physical and mechanical properties of cotton fabric was evaluated by the indicators of weight gain, thickness and rigidity. The hygienic properties of treated cotton fabric were characterized by hygroscopicity and breathability. The paper presents the results of a study of the dependence of physical, mechanical and hygienic properties of cotton fabric on the type and concentration of styrene-acrylic dispersions used. According to the results of the experiment, it was found that the acrylic copolymer Lacrytex 640 increases the elastic properties of treated fabric in the entire concentration range studied. It was determined that the greatest decrease in air permeability is typical for fabric samples coated on the basis of Akratam AS 02.1 dispersion. The hygroscopicity of cotton textile material with an increase in a concentration of the studied styrene-acrylic polymer dispersions from 50 g/l to 100 g/l decreases slightly (by 2%). It is proved that the styrene-acrylic copolymer Tubifast AS 4010 due to the formation of highly elastic film provides a soft handle and high hygienic properties of cotton fabric. The obtained experimental results are of practical value in the development of new finishing compositions for textile materials.

This paper studies the effect of low temperature plasma (LTP) on an ink-jet printed cotton fabric. Owing to the specific printing and conductivity requirements for ink-jet printing, none of the conventional printing chemicals used for cotton fabric can be directly incorporated into the ink formulation. As a result, the cotton fabric requires pre-treatment with the printing chemicals prior to the stage of ink-jet printing. The application of the printing chemicals as pre-treatment to cotton fabric is by means of coating method. 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.

Introduction: Workers who work in warm situations need clothes with better thermal regulation. Nowadays, improving the thermal regulation properties of cotton fabric by treating it with phase change materials (PCMs) has been considered. The type of fabric plays an important role in providing thermal comfort. Cotton fabric is the most popular raw material in the textile industry due to its distinctive features. Therefore, this systematic review aims to investigate the effects of PCM nanoencapsulation in commonly used cotton fabrics, including morphology, thermal properties, thermal stability, tensile strength, abrasion resistance, leakage, water absorption, washing ability, and breathability of the fabric, related challenges, and future research trends. Material and Methods: This research was conducted with the papers obtained from the systematic search in Science Direct, Web of Sciences, Scopus, and PubMed databases. Keywords “nanoencapsulated phase change materials”, “nanoenhanced phase change materials”, “cotton”, “cotton fabric”, and “cotton textiles” were used. Results: Of the 1251 studies identified through search databases, 13 were selected according to the entry criteria. The results revealed that in all the studies, PCM nanocapsules were successfully synthesized and inserted into the cotton fabric, improving the fabric’s thermal properties. Most studies used in situ polymerization and mini-emulsion polymerization for nanoencapsulation. The pad-dry-cure method was also widely used for applying nanocapsules to cotton fabric. Conclusion: This systematic review showed that synthesized nanocapsules of phase change materials and applied them to cotton fabric can improve the thermoregulating properties of the fabric. It is suggested to expand the research to design thermoregulating clothes made from treated fabrics and investigate their cooling performance.

Luxury fibers are used for their tactile properties, comfortable feeling for the users, and sometimes for status in society. These fibers are all protein-based and have always been compared to the properties of wool. Cashmere is known for its incredibly soft and warm yet lightweight and breathable qualities, making it a must-have fabric for any fall and winter closet. Besides labored and time-wasting cashmere production makes the fiber very expensive. Yak fiber is an alternative to expensive cashmere with similar properties, which costs only a quarter of cashmere. In this study, air and water vapor permeability properties, which are important for consumer comfort were investigated in addition to handle properties of the fabrics compared with the properties of the fabrics made of wool fibers. It was found that yarns made of wool fibers were easy to spin in fine yarn counts whereas yarns made of yak fibers were the coarsest. Hand-knitted fabrics made of cashmere fibers had the softest feeling even if the fabrics were produced with similar technical specifications. The permeability results of the fabrics were different, especially the porosity of the fabrics had a higher impact on the permeability of the fabrics.

The influence of 3, 10 and 50 washing cycles on the properties of cotton fabric and cotton-polyester blend in plain weave, was investigated in this study. In addition to the analysis of tensile properties in weft and warp directions and thickness, the number of particles produced in the dry state was also measured after 3, 10 and 50 washes. After washing, the entire effluent was analysed by determining the total suspended solids (TSS), the total solids (TS), the pH value and the conductivity. To determine the similarity of the observed wash cycles and properties of all processed samples, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was performed. The fabric changes indicated by total wear in the warp direction after 50 washing cycles compared to unwashed ones amounting to 41.2% for cotton and 30.9% for cotton-polyester blend, may be attributed to the synergy of washing factors and raw material composition. Cotton fabric produced significantly more particles than cotton-polyester fabric in the dry state after the examined washing cycles in all size categories. A smaller number of released particles are in the larger size category >25 μm. The obtained TSS values confirm the degree of loading of the effluent with particulate matter from the analysed fabrics, since the detergent consists of water-soluble components. The HCA dendrograms confirmed that the release of particles during the first washing cycles is mainly determined by the structural properties of fabrics, while in the subsequent cycles the synergistic effect of chemical, mechanical and thermal effects in the interaction with the material prevailed.