UV protection properties of workwear fabric coated with metal-organic frameworks

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the ultraviolet protective factor (UPF) of fabrics coated with titanium-based metal-organic framework (MOFs) (NH2-MIL-125(Ti)) made using an In-situ synthesis method and more accurately assess the intrinsic properties of the fabric. The cotton-polyester twill fabric (70-30%) (246.67 g/m2) was coated. In-situ coating conducted in 4 steps washing the fabrics, preparation of MOFs, injecting the MOFs to fabrics, and drying the fabric after coating. The scanning electron microscope (SEM), FTIR spectrometer, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and UV-Vis spectrophotometer were used to analyses the data of coating and UPF results. Also, four standards such as ASTM D737, ISIRI 8332, ISIRI 4199, and ISIRI 567 were used for analyzing the intrinsic properties of the fabric. The results of SEM and DLS altogether confirmed the in-situ formation of MOFs onto the fabric fibers. Moreover, the UPF value of the uncoated and coated fabrics was 3.67 and 315.73, respectively. It was showed that the in-situ deposition of NH2-MIL-125(Ti) on fabric can provide adequate protection against UVR. Also, the results of analyzing the intrinsic properties of the fabric showed that there was no significant difference in the intrinsic properties between the coated and uncoated fabrics. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the UV protective property of workwear fabrics can be improved by coating NH2-MIL-125(Ti) on them without any effect on the cooling effect of perspiration evaporation.