Knitted Polyester Fabric Research Articles

Tunable spectral properties of PVB/WS2 impregnated fabrics in VIS, IR and RF part of the EMS

The application of nanomodified polymer impregnation on knitted polyester fabrics was studied to improve camouflage characteristics in VIS, IR, and RF domains to enhance multispectral camouflage protection. Nanoparticles of tungsten disulfide (WS2) were dispersed in an ethanol solution of poly (vinyl butyral) (PVB) and applied as a thin impregnation on polyester fabrics already dyed in camouflage shades. A reference sample impregnated only with PVB, without WS2, was also prepared in the same way. Parallel to the impregnated fabrics, a neat knitted polyester textile sample was submitted to all the examination methods. Diffuse reflection, specular gloss, and color coordinates were measured for all the samples. Moreover, the samples were observed using IR thermography in medium and long-wavelength infrared parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. The best suppression (≥20%) in the IR range of EMS was achieved for the dark green shade sample by applying PVB alone and/or adding PVB/ WS2. RF domain measurement analysis of how impregnated fabrics influence effective Radar Cross Section (RCS), K band radar was used, with the measurements done in terrain conditions. The decrease of the mean RCS value between 11% and 41% was achieved. The obtained results indicate that the addition of WS2 has a positive effect on the observed characteristics and that there is a possibility of using this newly impregnated knitwear in the wider area of the EMS as a camouflage material.

Right ventricular outflow tract obstruction associated with neointimal tissue accumulation and distortion of the Harmony TPV25 stent frame: Potential mechanisms and treatment.

The Harmony TPV25 transcatheter pulmonary valve (Medtronic Inc.) is constructed with a self-expanding stent frame comprising six zigged nitinol wires sewn together and covered with knitted polyester fabric, with flared inflow and outflow ends and a porcine pericardial valve sutured to the central portion of the device. It was approved for treatment of pulmonary regurgitation after prior right ventricular outflow tract repair in 2021. Early outcomes of this procedure have been excellent, but little is known about valve durability or ultimate mechanisms of dysfunction. We collected data on patients who underwent reintervention for TPV25 dysfunction and described findings related to distortion of the stent frame and tissue accumulation. We describe six patients who underwent valve-in-valve implant for TPV25 obstruction (peak catheterization gradient peak 28-73 mmHg) 10-28 months after implant. In all cases, there was tissue accumulation within the inflow and valve-housing segments of the device and deformation of the self-expanding valve frame characterized by variable circumferential narrowing at the junction between the valve housing and the inflow and outflow portions of the device, with additional geometric changes in all segments. All six patients underwent valve-in-valve implant that results in a final peak gradient ≤10 mmHg and no regurgitation. The occurrence of short-term Harmony TPV25 dysfunction in multiple patients with a similar appearance of frame distortion and tissue accumulation within the inflow and valve housing portions of the device suggests that this may be an important failure mechanism for this valve. Potential causes of the observed findings are discussed. It is possible to treat this mechanism of TPV25 dysfunction with valve-in-valve implant using balloon expandable transcatheter valves.

Impact of quantification method on microfiber assessment – A comparative analysis between mass and count based methods

Microfiber from textiles is one of the new anthropogenic pollutants which attracted a wide range of researchers. Domestic laundry, being the most common cause of microfiber release from textiles, is widely studied. Studies exhibit a broad range of quantities of microfibers owing to the distinct quantification methodologies employed due to their convenience and resource availability. Out of several such estimation processes, reporting microfiber quantity in numbers or mass (mg or g) is quite common with respect to the unit area or weight of the textile used. However, results reported by different literature vary significantly. Hence, this study aims to analyze the microfiber release from knitted polyester fabric using count- and mass-based methods. Four different fabrics were used for this study with three different counting processes from literature along with direct weight difference estimation. The results of the direct counting method showed that the average microfiber release of selected fabrics is 13.28–33.16 microfibers per sq.cm, whereas, the direct weight estimation showed an average weight of 0.0664 ± 0.0289 mg/sq.cm. The subsequent conversion showed a release of 887.89 ± 633.49 microfibers/sq.cm of the fabric. Further, the microfiber mass was also estimated using the number of microfiber count and found that a sq.cm of fabric releases up to 0.0010–0.0024 mg of microfibers. While comparing the results, the weight-based estimation showed a significantly higher microfiber release (41.3–42.9 times) than the direct counting method. The deposition of surfactants in detergents, contaminants from the water, atmospheric contaminants, and finishes released from the fabric can be the sources of additional weights noted in the direct mass estimation. As the weight-based method is quite simple and the fastest way to quantify the microfibers, future studies must focus on this area to reduce the error percentage in quantification.

Online thickness measurements of acrylate-based coatings on knitted polyester fabric using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

Three different institutions combined their expertise in a joint R&D project to demonstrate the suitability of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy for thickness measurements of acrylate-based coatings on polyester fabric. First, we spectroscopically analyzed the materials involved using a high-precision terahertz spectrometer and determined optical properties such as the refractive index and loss coefficient. Raster scans were then performed across the sample, and terahertz images were created to identify material boundaries and thickness inhomogeneities. Finally, we applied a fast scanning terahertz time-domain spectrometer based on electronically controlled optical sampling and a customized reflection head for online thickness measurements in a coating line. The textile moved at a speed of 0.5 m/min, while the measurement system records terahertz pulses at a rate of 1600 traces/s. Coating thicknesses of between 63 µm and 99 µm were calculated in a post-processing step. To classify these non-contact and non-destructive measurements, these thicknesses were compared with the results of standard methods. Online and offline (62-83 µm) terahertz and SEM (66-75 µm) measurements delivered the best agreement for average coating thickness. In contrast, mechanical testing methods gave either too low or too high values for layer thickness, which were not comparable. Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and imaging technology enable the first non-destructive quality control of acrylate-based textile coatings immediately following coating in the production line. Measurable variables are coating thicknesses and the detection of defects such as air inclusions.

Microfiber mitigation from synthetic textiles - impact of combined surface modification and finishing process.

The use of proper mitigation strategies to control the impact of microfiber pollution is need of the hour requirement. Though several laundry aids were developed to reduce the environmental impact caused by synthetic microfiber, due to the lack of awareness among the public, their effectiveness was limited. Hence, the mitigation measures at the production stage of textile materials can be a proactive solution with greater effectiveness in mitigating the issue at different stages rather than focussing only on domestic laundering. In this aspect, few recent attempts have been made to control the microfiber release from textiles by the surface finishing process. Thus, the current research focused on utilizing the surface modification process and surface finishing process to reduce the microfiber release behavior of knitted polyester fabrics. In this study, polyester knitted fabric (PES) was surface finished with chitosan (PES-Ch), sericin (PES-Se), and polyvinyl alcohol (PES-PVA), and their effectiveness in reducing microfiber shedding during laundry was analyzed. These finishes are applied directly on the polyester fabric and also after surface modification by alkali (Al) and enzyme (En) pre-treatments. The results reported that at the first wash, directly finished samples showed a reduction of 30-40% in microfiber shedding, and the samples finished after alkali pre-treatment showed a significant reduction of 47-84.29% (p < 0.05). Reduction in microfiber release was noted in the order of chitosan finish with alkali pre-treatment (PES-Al-Ch) > chitosan finish (PES-Ch) > sericin finish with alkali pre-treatment (PES-Al-Se) > polyvinyl alcohol finish with alkali pre-treatment (PES-Al-PVA) > polyvinyl alcohol finish (PES-PVA) for both fiber count and mass. In the case of enzyme pre-treatment, no reduction was reported, irrespective of the finishes applied. Repeated wash test results showed that the finishes could withstand and effectively control the microfiber release from the polyester fabric even after 20 washes. The performance of PES-Al-Ch fabric was superior among other modifications up to the fifth wash (with an 83.55% reduction in microfiber release). At extended washes like the 15th and 20th wash, the performance of PES-Al-PVA fabric was found to be better, with 94% and 95% microfiber reduction, respectively.

Characterization of microfibers released from chemically modified polyester fabrics — A step towards mitigation

Synthetic textiles are one of the significant contributors to microfiber pollution, a subclass of microplastics. The impact of microfibers on the environment is irreversible. Several attempts were made to mitigate and control the microfiber release from synthetic textiles by introducing filters and laundry aids in washing machines, whereas some came up with methods to modify the textile materials to release fewer fibers. Studies have related different textile properties with their microfiber release potential. However, moisture properties, one of the essential properties that determine comfort, are not well explored. Hence, this research attempted to mitigate the microfiber release by altering the hydrophilicity of the polyester fabrics through chemical treatment (sodium hydroxide) with the hypothesis that hydrophilicity reduces the microfiber release. Both woven and knitted polyester fabrics were treated with different concentrations of the alkali solution (0.25 M, 0.50 M, 0.75 M, 1.00 M) and evaluated for their microfiber release. Treated fabrics also showed variations in their moisture and physical properties. Woven fabrics showed reduced shedding compared to knitted fabrics due to their compact structure. The results showed that the increase in alkali concentration significantly reduced the microfiber release up to 89.6 % reduction with woven fabric (from 17.37 ± 1.55 fibers/sq.cm to 2.63 ± 0.23 fibers/sq.cm) and a reduction of 68 % was noted for knitted fabric treated with 0.75 M alkali concentration (from 24.38 ± 1.30 fibers/sq.cm to 8.74 ± 1.39 fibers/sq.cm). A higher negative correlation (r = 94 % for woven and 89 % for knitted) was noted between alkali concentration and microfiber release. The alkali treatment significantly reduced the average fiber length from 450 to 230 μm, and 63–93 % of the fibers identified were in size range of 100–500 μm. When the moisture properties of the alkali-treated fabrics are concerned, an increase in moisture properties reduces the microfiber release. Water contact angle and absorbency time positively correlated with microfiber release. However, the study did not show any significant effect of moisture regain percentage and vertical wicking on microfiber shedding. Except for abrasion resistance, the physical properties of alkali-treated fabric did not show any relationship with microfiber release. The study noted the order of factors influencing the microfiber release of polyester fabric as fabric structural parameters (Woven/Knits) > fabric hydrophilicity > fabric physical property.

A Breathable Knitted Fabric-Based Smart System with Enhanced Superhydrophobicity for Drowning Alarming.

Wearable strain sensors have aroused increasing interest in human motion monitoring, even for the detection of small physiological signals such as joint movement and pulse. Stable monitoring of underwater human motion for a long time is still a notable challenge, as electronic devices can lose their effectiveness in a wet environment. In this study, a superhydrophobic and conductive knitted polyester fabric-based strain sensor was fabricated via dip coating of graphene oxide and polydimethylsiloxane micro/nanoparticles. The water contact angle of the obtained sample was 156°, which was retained above 150° under deformation (stretched to twice the original length or bent to 80°). Additionally, the sample exhibited satisfactory mechanical stability in terms of superhydrophobicity and conductivity after 300 abrasion cycles and 20 accelerated washing cycles. In terms of sensing performance, the strain sensor showed a rapid and obvious response to different deformations such as water vibration, underwater finger bending, and droplet shock. With the good combination of superhydrophobicity and conductivity, as well as the wearability and stretchability of the knitted polyester fabric, this wireless strain sensor connected with Bluetooth can allow for the remote monitoring of water sports, e.g., swimming, and can raise an alert under drowning conditions.

Effect of surface modification of polyester fabric on microfiber shedding from household laundry

PurposeSynthetic textile materials are noted as one of the major contributors to microfiber pollution through laundry. Though many research works evaluated microfiber pollution, the solutions provided to control microfiber shedding are meager. The existing products collect or filter the microfiber from laundry effluent and restrict the direct leaching. However, no methods were proposed to effectively reduce the shedding from the textile itself.Design/methodology/approachThis research is aimed to analyze the influence of surface modification of polyester knitted textiles by sodium hydroxide, on microfiber shedding. Response surface methodology was adapted to optimize different treatment parameters (alkali concentration, treatment time and temperature).FindingsThe results show that the sodium hydroxide concentration and treatment time had a negative correlation with microfiber shedding reduction. Whereas, treatment temperature had a positive correlation with microfiber shedding reduction. The statistical analysis revealed that 0.4 M concentration, 90°C temperature and 24 min of treatment time was the best process condition for minimum microfiber release. The same was confirmed with a practical experiment and a significant reduction of 80.63% in microfiber shedding after alkali treatment was found.Originality/valueAlkali treatment of different knitted polyester fabrics with various knit structures and mass per square meter showed a significant reduction in microfiber shedding. The repeated laundry performed for 20 washes with surface-modified samples showed a significant reduction in microfiber release at every wash cycle and ensured the longevity of the effect.

Thermoelectric Clothing for Body Heat Harvesting and Personal Cooling: Design and Fabrication of a Textile‐Integrated Flexible and Vertical Device

Textiles offer the ideal platform to develop thermoelectric (TE) clothing for body heat harvesting and personal thermoregulation. Herein, textiles used in everyday clothing are adapted to fabricate a flexible and vertical TE device architecture. Selective laser patterning is used to create cavities for embedding bulk inorganic Bi2Te3legs into a knitted polyester fabric used in next‐to‐skin sportswear. The device thermal design is optimized using fabric layering to accommodate longer legs up to 0.8 mm, and a flexible 3D‐printed heat sink is integrated to maximize heat dissipation to the ambient. Using flexible copper foil to connect the legs with a low‐temperature soldering paste, a stable and ultralow device electrical resistance (&lt;1 Ω) is achieved, which is unprecedented for wearable textile‐based TE devices. The developed prototype demonstrates power generation of up to 3.8 μW using body heat, and it provides a cooling effect of 1 °C for personal thermoregulation. Furthermore, the prototype withstands a tensile strain up to 20%, over 1000 bend cycles (at a 23 mm radius comparable with the curvature of the human wrist), and ten wash cycles, thereby demonstrating viability for TE clothing. Strategies for optimization are also presented to enable further performance enhancements using all textile‐compatible processes.

REUSABLE FABRIC MASKS AGAINST COVID-19

Upon the outbreak of the COVID-19, community wide mask wearing has become an important tool to prevent the spread of the virus. The use of disposable masks -that are generally produced of three or more layers of synthetic nonwovens- by the general public is being questioned from an environmental and waste perspective. Conventional textile fabrics, on the other hand, may not provide the desired level of protection against the virus. In this study three layer fabric mask structures having a middle layer of nonwoven (100 g/m2 or 120 g/m2) sandwiched between knitted polyester fabrics were prepared. The particle filtration and breathability properties of the fabric assemblies were investigated. In order to prevent bacterial growth and enable safer use, the outer layer was antibacterial and water repellent functionalized. The middle layer was also antibacterial treated. The air permeability of the three layer fabric structure with an antibacterial nonwoven (100 g/m2) middle layer and an antibacterial and water repellent outer layer was ≥ 96 l/m²/s. The particle filtration efficiency was 23% when tested for 0.3 µm NaCl aerosol particles. The particle filtration efficiency was not reduced after washing up to 20 cycles.

In situ grafting coupling agent on polyester fabric to significantly improve the interfacial adhesion to silicone rubber

The wear resistance and tear strength of silicone rubber can be greatly improved by warp knitted polyester fabric, but the application of fabric rubber composites is limited by the poor bonding interface between the fabric and the rubber. In this study, the fabric is immersed in an alkaline solution first and a coupling agent in sequence with ultrasonic treatment. Then, fabric rubber composites with high bonding strength between fabric and rubber are prepared through a co-vulcanization process. The adhesion mechanism between the fabric and the rubber is analyzed through Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), Raman spectrum, contact angle test and peel test. The adhesion strengths of samples treated by KH570 along warp and weft direction of fabric reach 8.0 N·mm-1 and 4.82 N·mm-1, respectively, which are 10.35 times and 5.91 times higher than those of original fabric samples. This greatly improves the delamination resistance of fabric rubber composites under large strain and expands its application range.

Potentiometric Sensors with Polymeric Sensing and Reference Membranes Fully Integrated into a Sample‐Wicking Polyester Textile

AbstractResponding to current limitations in paper‐based sensors and the increased interest in wearable sensors, we introduce here potentiometric sensors fully integrated into a knitted polyester fabric and their application in aqueous and biological samples. Single layer ion‐sensing devices requiring only 30 μL of sample were fabricated using wax patterning and Ag/AgCl paint. These devices give a Nernstian response to chloride over 4 orders of magnitude – an order of magnitude improvement from analogous paper‐based devices. We also report the penetration of polyester yarns with polymeric hydrophobic and hydrophilic ion‐sensing and reference membranes, all fully embedded within the fabric. These results demonstrate the promise of knitted fabrics as substrates for fully‐integrated potentiometric sensors with improved detection limits. They also elucidate the effect of pore structure on sensor fabrication and performance, thereby affecting how we understand both fabric‐ and paper‐based devices.

Development of antibacterial knitted fabrics from polyester-silver nanocomposite fibres

Development of durable antibacterial knitted polyester fabrics by incorporation of small proportion of polyester-silver nanocomposite fibres has been attempted in this research. Polyester-silver nanocomposite fibres are blended with normal polyester fibres at three weight fractions (10, 20 and 30%). Three parameters, namely blend proportion (wt.%) of nanocomposite fibres, yarn count and knitting machine gauge, have been varied for producing 27 knitted fabrics. Knitted fabrics prepared from polyester-silver nanocomposite fibres show good to excellent antibacterial activity (65-99%) against both S. aureus and E. coli bacteria. Blend proportion of nanocomposite fibres is found to be the most dominant factor in influencing the antibacterial activity of knitted fabrics. Antibacterial activity also increases with coarser yarn count and higher knitting machine gauge. It is also found that the tightness or compactness of knitted fabrics is correlated positively with their antibacterial activity.

Imparting antibacterial activity, UV-protection properties and enhancing performance of casein modified polyester fabrics

Polyester fibres are extensively used in the textile industry because of their durability, low-cost, easy-care and compatibility properties. The hydrophobic nature of polyester is adversely affecting the level of comfort and restricts its use in most textile applications like sportswear, underwear, and bedding. Thus, the demands for improving polyester properties to meet market needs are gaining increased research interest. In the present work, casein was used as a surface-coating material for woven and knitted polyester fabrics to impart new desired properties. The fabrics were pretreated with sodium hydroxide followed by treating with various concentrations of casein using pad-dry-cure technique, as well the fabrics were treated with casein directly in presence of epichlorohydrin as cross-linker. The apparent viscosity of the different concentrations of the dissolved casein biopolymer was studied. The morphological structure and the surface chemical elements of the untreated and treated polyester fabrics were investigated using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), respectively. The base combining capacity of the untreated and treated fabrics was evaluated and compared, in addition to studying their physical and mechanical properties to evaluate their performance. Also, the antibacterial activity of the treated fabrics compared to the untreated one was investigated. The results revealed that all treated polyester fabrics exhibited better moisture regain, UPF, antistatic and antibacterial activity compared to the untreated fabrics. Woven and knitted polyester samples treated with casein only achieved higher strength properties, lower surface roughness and improved electrostatic charges. Even so, the woven samples pretreated with sodium hydroxide followed by casein had increased air permeability values, while the knitted samples showed decreased values and increased stiffness. The overall comparison between the significant properties of all treated polyester fabrics clarified that, the woven sample pretreated with 10% NaOH then 7% casein and knitted sample treated with 4% casein only achieved the best functional performance.

Development of Chemical Protective Clothing Using Multilayer Fabric for Hazardous Chemicals Handling

ABSTRACT Protection against the safety of people is enforced for the certain occupations when they might be exposed to hazardous chemicals during handling. This research provides an importance of chemical protective clothing, along with its necessity during various industrial applications. The aim of the research is to develop more comfortable and efficient protective cloth for the chemical industry workers. Developed multilayer fabric is to protect them from harmful chemical hazards with five layers, the outer shell made of polyester as it has low absorption and carbon fabric for its higher support. It provides a good strength to the fabric and polyester has a good resistance to lab grade chemicals. The middle layer comprises spun-bonded non-woven sandwiched with carbon fiber. The inner layer is made up of cotton fabric as it gives good absorbency and comfort. In this research, 100% polyester fabric, polyester/cotton fabric and 100% knitted polyester fabric have been used as a comparison in chemical protective clothing. Scanning electronic microscope (SEM) was used to observe the morphology of coated surfaces of protective for process versatility and the highly specific surface area. In this paper, the thermal properties of developed multilayered structures were statistically investigated. The chemical protection, good air permeability, abrasion resistance, fabric stiffness and tearing strength have been performed. The results provide new insights into the development of functional garments/materials and better methods for evaluating the performance of these materials under hazardous work environments.

Improving Comfort Attributes of Knitted Polyester Fabrics Using ZnO Nano-particle

This work was adopted to enhance the electrical conductivity of knitted polyester fabrics byincorporation of zinc oxide nanoparticle (NPs) into the fibre vicinity. Five structures ofPIQUE knitted polyester fabric of variable loop length were treated with ZnO NPs usingexhaustion technique. The treated fabrics were sewn using two types of stitches: namely threethread overedge (504) and five thread full overedge (516). The comfort attributes of the treatedfabrics; Viz. electrical conductivity, air permeability, and water permeability were assessed.Physico-mechanical properties of the different treated and untreated fabrics were also evaluated.Atomic absorption spectrometry was used to trace the amounts of zinc ions incorporated onto thedifferent treated structures. The alteration in the functional groups of the modified samples wasmonitored by FTIR spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersiveX-ray spectroscopy/elemental mapping were adopted to confirm the inclusion and distribution ofZnO NPs onto the modified polyester fabric. The treated polyester knitted fabrics showedenhanced electrical conductivity with improved comfort properties without adverse effect on theirperformance and appearance attributes.

Evaluation of Comfort Attributes of Polyester Knitted Fabrics Treated with Sericin

This work was adopted to study the effect of sericin-containing bath on the different structures of knitted polyester fabrics to improve some of their comfort attributes. Without appreciable deterioration in its inherent properties, the different structures of treated polyester fabric exhibited induced hydrophilicity, enhanced electrical conductivity, improved resistance to ultraviolet radiation and better water vapour permeability. Five knitted polyester fabrics of different structures were saponified by sodium hydroxide to create carboxylate ions along their macromolecules, and then treated by sericin within freshly discharged bath from degumming of raw natural silk. Treatment of polyester fabrics with sericin was carried out in presence and absence of glutardialdehyde as a crosslinking agent between polyester and sericin macromolecules. Different thermo-physiological parameters of comfort; namely thermal conductivity/resistivity, air/water permeability, release of electrostatic charges, ultraviolet protection factor, and water vapour transmission of the sericin-treated as well as untreated knitted fabrics were assessed. The mechanism of interaction between knitted polyester fabric and sericin in presence of glutardialdehyde was proposed. Scanning electron microscopy was used to ascribe any alteration in the fibre morphology. The change in the fabric crystallinity was investigated using X-ray diffraction pattern. The burst strength, bending stiffness and yellowing index of the treated fabrics were in the acceptable range.

Influence of fabric structure and finishing pattern on the thermal and moisture management properties of unidirectional water transport knitted polyester fabrics

The thermal-wet-comfort characteristic of fabrics is primary to clothing for human bodies. The comfort aptitudes in the fabrics increase the significance of attire and are gaining more interest in the global market. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of finishing patterns and fabric structure parameters on the comfort performance, air permeability, wicking effect, one-way water transport properties and thermal-physiological properties of unidirectional water transport knitted polyester fabrics. Eight samples are developed by hydrophobic finishing, which possessed good moisture management properties. The result implies that with the intensity of pores, there is an increase in the capillary effect of moisture absorption and transportation in the fabrics. Further, the escalation of the hydrophilic area to a hydrophobic area and regularity in the finishing pattern make the fabrics better in performance for unidirectional water transmission and thermal-wet comfortability. The statistical analysis indicates that the fabric structure and finishing patterns have a significant effect ( p = 0.01) on moisture management properties. The fabric with a rib air structure and finishing pattern with ratio (69%) of the hydrophilic area to the hydrophobic area has the best regularity and moisture management property.

Axillary odour studies on alkali-treated knitted polyester fabric

PurposeOdour formation in textile material is mainly based on the fibre content and also the constituent fibres’ chemical and physical structures. Polyester fibre materials are very profound to form odour after being worn due to their highly oleophilic nature. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the odour formation characteristics of polyester fabric after surface modification through alkali treatment.Design/methodology/approachFive male participants were allowed to use the alkali-treated and untreated polyester fabrics, which were fixed in the axilla region of their vest. Subjective and objective odour analyses were performed for the worn samples. The odour was evaluated in terms of intensity rating, bacterial population (CFU/ml) and bacterial isolation.FindingsThe results showed that alkali treatment was effective in odour reduction in polyester fabric (p<0.005). The bacterial population density was also reduced significantly (p<0.005) in the alkali-treated polyester fabric compared to the untreated polyester fabric after the wear trial. The alkali treatment affected the surface structure of the polyester fabric and thus changed it from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. This was confirmed by the moisture management test results.Originality/valueThe odour formation in the polyester fabric can be controlled by simple surface modification process like alkali treatment, and thus the value of the product can be increased in the apparel sector.

PET-Cell Fibers: Synthetic with Natural Effects, Surface Modification of PET Fibers with Luffa Nanowhiskers

Nowadays, an increasing demand emerges for biodegradable materials and products made from renewable resources. The cellulose in the form of cellulosic fibers or nano fibers can play a crucially important role in the enhancement of the performance of an absorbent product and provide water holding capacity. In the present study, a new hydrogel was synthesized based on luffa nanowhiskers prepared by luffa cylindrica fibers as a natural source of cellulose in order to surface modification of polyester fabric. Cellulose nanowhiskers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy. The results confirm the integrity of cellulose nanocrystals after chemical modification and their rod-like morphology with nanometric dimensions. In order to surface modification of knitted polyester fabric, different amounts of nano-hydrogel were deposited on the alkali-modified and unmodified polyester fabrics. Scanning electron microscopy and FTIR results confirm the presence of cellulose based hydrogel on the fabrics. Water retention capacity (WRC), water uptake ability and self-cleaning properties of treated fabrics were evaluated and the results show that the improvement of WRC and relative self-cleaning property of samples. In order to obtain an antibacterial fabric, the neem extract as a natural antibacterial agent was loaded into nano-hydrogel. The results of loading and release behavior of neem extract, represent the controlled drug-delivery properties of the treated fabrics and significant antibacterial properties against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.