Recovery Angle Research Articles

Optimizing the grasping behavior of a soft robot's gripper

AbstractIn this study, smart composite materials based on 4D printing technology were used to determine the grasping ability of four‐claw gripper of soft robot. First, fused deposition modeling (FDM) is used to prepare polylactic acid (PLA) strips on the surface of a rectangular bamboo substrate to create a single‐claw gripper for a smart composite soft robot, while using stimulus (heat) to deform and recover its original shape. Here, the authors first evaluate the deformation and recovery angle of the single‐claw gripper of the smart composite soft robot, as well as various processing parameters such as heating temperature and time. This study then used FDM to print PLA ribbons on cross‐shaped bamboo sheets to design the four‐claw gripper of soft robot and its gripper technology was actuation type. Then, the four‐claw gripper of soft robot was used to grab the table tennis ball to test its grasping ability. Finally, four processing parameters (width of claw, pitch of PLA ribbon, heating temperature, and heating time) were applied to determine the grasping ability of the four‐claw gripper of soft robot. The optimal processing parameters for the grasping ability of the four‐claw gripper of soft robot were width of claw of 20.2 mm, pitch of PLA ribbon of 1 mm, heating temperature of 200°C, and the heating time of 15 s. The authors also applied the operation window of two processing parameters to discuss the success of the grasping ability of the four‐claw gripper of soft robot. The innovation of this study is the use of PLA/bamboo composite materials as the four‐claw gripper of soft robot and these materials are cheap, easy to obtain, and can be recycled naturally. This study uses a simple thermal stimulus to enable the four‐claw gripper of soft robot to easily grasp irregular objects.Highlights The innovative composite material of polylactic acid and bamboo fabricated by 3D printing. Width of claw and heating temperature are the key factors on grasping ability. Operating window of grasping ability appears on four‐claw gripper of soft robot.

Study on crease recovery property of warp-knitted jacquard spacer shoe upper material

Shoe upper materials are often subjected to repeated creasing in use, which affects their shape retention and aesthetic. The crease recovery property of fabrics is an important property that affects its serviceability. Six variants of warp-knitted jacquard spacer fabrics with different jacquard layer structures were selected and the crease recovery angles on six orientation angles were tested for 30 cycles. The relationship between different orientation angles and crease recovery angles was studied and the comprehensive index for evaluating the crease recovery property of fabric was extracted by the grey relation analysis. The effect of the jacquard layer structure and the number of cycles on crease recovery property was analyzed with MATLAB. The results indicated that the crease recovery angles on different orientation angles were significantly different, and the comprehensive index could evaluate the crease recovery property more reasonably. The influence of the 3-needle underlap and the chain underlap on the crease recovery property was the most significant, and the influence of the 3-needle underlap was greater than that of the chain underlap. Base on solid structure, reducing the proportion of mesh structure or adding semi-transparent structure could improve the crease recovery property. The change rule of crease recovery angles with the number of cycles could be elucidated by the exponential function.

Sustainable Cationic Cotton with Keratin Hydrolysate

In this research work, the keratin hydrolysate was obtained from waste wool by using alkaline hydrolysis. The extracted keratin hydrolysate was treated to the cotton fabric, and then reference and treated fabrics dyed with direct dyestuffs in neutral medium without salt. It was revealed that there was improvement in treated fabric in terms of dyeability and dry crease recovery angle compared to untreated fabric and that wet fastness values and tensile strength values of treated fabric remained same compared to those of untreated fabric. The structural change of treated surfaces was confirmed by SEM, FTIR, XPS and TEM analyses.

Characterizing fabric crease recovery through sequential image analysis

Abstract Crease recovery is the ability of a fabric to revert to its original condition after deformation or folding. This recovery process is intricately linked to several fabric properties, including fiber content, yarn structure, weave, fabric finish, and mechanical treatments. Based on the dynamic nature of crease recovery, this paper employs sequential image analysis to track the velocity of fabric crease recovery at different positions and extract simple metrics for measuring fabric shape retention. In each image, the contour of the creased sample is detected, and the contour is modeled by a Gaussian function to calculate its barycenter. The barycenter of a crease is the point in space where the mass of the crease is concentrated, reflecting the shape and position of the crease. During the recovery process, the translation of the barycenter of the creased sample can be determined from the sequential images, leading to the calculation of crease's recovery velocity. Experimental results demonstrate a linear relationship between the barycentric velocity and logarithmic time. The slope of the resulting fit line, designated as the crease coefficient k, serves as a singular metric for assessing the fabric's shape retention following the release of the crease. This methodology is benchmarked against traditional fabric crease behavior tests, including the draping coefficient, bending length, and crease recovery angle. It demonstrates that the crease coefficient k offers greater reliability and accuracy across tests on 10 diverse fabric samples, which varied in terms of fiber content, weave, yarn size, and density.

Effect of in-situ deposition of nano-calcium carbonate on the properties of anti-creasing cotton fabrics

Cotton fabrics exhibit excellent moisture absorption and breathability, which makes them comfortable to wear. However, they lack natural wrinkle resistance due to their poor anti-creasing performance and shape retention. Currently, anti-creasing finishing is widely applied to cotton fabrics; however, a contradiction exists between the anti-creasing effect and strength loss. To overcome this trade-off, a chemical deposition method was used to generate in-situ nano-calcium carbonate particles on anti-creasing cotton fibers. These particles effectively fill the micropores and microcracks in the anti-creasing cotton fibers, thereby improving the strength of the fabric. Scanning electron microscopy, wrinkle recovery angle, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, and contact angle were used to characterize and analyze the changes in surface morphology, wrinkle resistance, chemical structure, and hydrophilicity of anti-creasing cotton fabrics before and after deposition treatment, respectively. Following nanoparticle deposition, the breaking strength of the anti-creasing cotton fabrics increased by approximately 11–14 %, whereas no significant changes were observed in their wrinkle recovery angle, chemical structure, and hydrophilicity. In addition, the crystallinity index increased after treatment and the washing durability of the deposited nanoparticles was excellent. This study demonstrates a method for overcoming the long-standing trade-off between the anti-creasing effect and strength loss and fills the gap in the field of non-destructive strength repair of anti-creasing cotton fabrics. The study findings provide important data for improving the strength of anti-creasing cotton fabrics. The proposed treatment method is inexpensive, simple, highly efficient, and harmless, and is expected to have bright prospects in future industrial applications.

Clean dyeing of cotton fabrics by cross-linking reactive dyes with fiber macromolecular chains

Increasing dye utilization, shortening the process and reducing the discharge of colored wastewater are the keys to clean dyeing and finishing of fabrics. In this study, we report a clean dyeing process. The process improved the dye utilization and achieved wrinkle-finishing and dyeing in the same bath by enhancing cross-linking of dyes with fiber macromolecular chains. It was observed by SEM that the cross-section of the dyed fibers showed round or oval shape, and the mid-cavities were reduced or even disappeared. The swelling rate of the fibers and cellulase degradation experiments showed that the dyes formed stable cross-linking structures with the macromolecular chains. Furthermore, differences in the structure of reactive dyes affected the optimal reaction conditions between the dyes and the fibers. Compared to conventional processes, the K/S, color fixation rate, and wrinkle recovery angle of dyed fabrics with different dyes were significantly improved. This illustrated the superiority of this process and the applicability of different structural dyes. Compared to traditional processes, the process saved 29.6 % of dyes and 16.7 % of alkalis. Importantly, the process could save 200 % of water, 9.5 kW h of energy consumption and 61.6 m3 of saturated steam. Ultimately, this process could save 7.22 $ of the cost of dyeing 1 kg of fabric. The concentration of dyes in the dyeing wastewater was significantly reduced. In summary, the clean process has good economic and environmental benefits.

Cotton–Cork Blended Fabric: An Innovative and Sustainable Apparel Textile for the Fashion Industry

Cotton is a preferred textile fiber for apparel textiles and is used primarily for summer wear. However, cotton has drawbacks, such as poor wrinkle resistance, and therefore, blends of cotton with other fibers have gained acceptance in the industry. In this study, a novel 90:10 cotton–cork blended fabric was studied for its physical and performance properties and benchmarked against a 100% cotton fabric. Fabric samples were analyzed to determine the wrinkle recovery angle, tenacity, abrasion resistance, shrinkage, CLO value, moisture absorption, and dyeability. The samples were further analyzed using SEM, DSC, and FTIR. The results showed significant differences between the two fabrics. Cotton–cork blended textile fabric had higher performance properties with the potential to be a viable, sustainable apparel textile.

Humidity-dependency of the relaxation behavior of fabric crease recovery angle

The unfolding of fabric creases induced by humidity is an issue of the capillary forces driving the deformation of materials, related to the interactions of textiles with moisture. Most are about complex moisture transport dynamics in fibrous assemblies. However, the effect of humidity on the crease recovery course of fabric with multiscale structure is not clear. Therefore, the fabric crease unfolding over time in different humidities was explored. In this study, theoretical analysis based on Burger’s viscoelasticity model and experiments on the crease recovery were conducted. Then the evaluation indices, that is, the crease recovery ratio ([Formula: see text]) and the recovery gradient ratio ([Formula: see text]), which were obtained from fitting coefficients and constructed in the form of the theoretical equation, were established. They were then combined with the fabric porosity ( P) at yarn scale, to demonstrate the capillary forces driving the deformation of materials, that is, crease unfolding humidity-induced. The results show that the higher the [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] value, the greater capillary forces promoting the crease to recover under the same humidity changes. The smaller the P, the more easily the contacted structures move, and the crease recovers better. In conclusion, the deformations induced by capillary forces are studied in a form of a crease unfolding at a humidity change. The results obtained in this study lay a certain foundation for further research on the mechanism and theoretical model of the moisture on fabric crease recovery.

Multifunctional ammonium polyphosphate coated cotton fabric for flame retardant, anti-wrinkle, ultraviolet protection and anti-bacterial

The multifunctional cotton fabrics, which were expected to become one of the most promising textile materials, gained much attention in the apparel market. In this work, the simultaneous coloration and finishing processes with natural dye were carried out to prepare the multifunctional cotton fabrics. The modification process using ammonium polyphosphate (APP) imparted the cotton fabric with numerous anionic sites along with flame retardant and anti-wrinkle properties. Subsequently, the implementation of coloration with berberine was to render the cotton fabric with elegant shade and anti-bacterial, ultraviolet (UV) protection performances. The obtained results revealed that the cotton fabric treated with APP could obtain deep shade. It was found that the limited oxygen index (LOI), wrinkle recovery angle (WRA), ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) and antibacterial efficiency of treated fabric were 46.4%, 252°, 193 and 99%, respectively. More importantly, the repeated laundering showed negligible influence on the flame retardant and anti-wrinkle performances. In addition, the anti-bacterial and UV protection performance of treated cotton fabric exhibited a slight decline even after 20 cycles of washing. Finally, the washing and rubbing fastness of obtained cotton fabric were also desirable.

Synthesis of castor oil/PEG as textile softener

New castor oil/polyethylene glycol (CAO/PEG) hybrids were synthesized by reacting of CAO with PEG 300, 600, 1000, 2000 or 4000, in presence of ammonium per sulfate (APS) as an initiator. The optimum conditions to synthesis such hybrids are: PEG/CAO weight ratio, 35%; APS/PEG weight ratio, 15%; reaction temperature, 80 °C; and reaction time, 60 min. Only the hybrids based on PEG 1000 and 2000 formed oil in water stable emulsions. Treating cotton fabric samples with easy care finishing formulation containing 40 g/L of the synthesized hybrids emulsions results in an enhancement in softness, tensile strength, whiteness index, and stiffness along with a reduction in nitrogen content, wrinkle recovery angle, and wettability properties of treated fabric, compared to that sample finished in absence of that emulsions. The chemical structure of the synthesized CAO/PEG1000 hybrid was confirmed via the FTIR and 1HNMRanalysis whereas the TEM analysis showed that the particles size of that hybrid emulsion is in the range of 27–105 nm. Moreover, such hybrid emulsion treated fabric surface was characterized via SEM and EDX analysis. Furthermore, treating dyed samples with the nominated hybrid emulsion improves the color strength of that samples but keeps the washing fastness, wet rubbing fastness as well as alkaline perspiration fastness of the dyed/finished samples unchanged. The wet rubbing fastness and alkaline perspiration fastness of all the dyed/finished samples were enhanced while the light fastness of such samples decreased.

Mechanistic prediction of folding angles in 4D printed shape memory polymers under varied loading conditions

Four-dimensional printing technology empowers 3D-printed structures to change shapes upon external stimulation. However, most studies did not consider recovery under loaded conditions. This paper introduces a mechanistic prediction model for forecasting recovery angles in 4D printing utilizing shape memory polymer under various loads. The model integrates Neo–Hookean model to describe the non-linear stress–strain relationship with experimentally determined force density data to characterize polymer restoration properties under various loads. Validation was demonstrated by the recovery experiment of a 3D-printed polylactic acid-thermoplastic polyurethane composite structure loaded by means of a cord and pulley mechanism. The predictive outcomes exhibited reasonable agreement with experimental results, demonstrating a trend of more accurate forecasts as the applied load increased. The model can accommodate various active materials provided that the pertaining force density data is accessible. The predictive model supports the design, optimization and material selection for 4D-printed structures to meet specific performance requirements.

Preparation of multifunctional cellulose macromolecule blended fabrics through internal and external synergy by N1, N6-bis (ethylene oxide-2-ylmethyl) hexane-1,6-diamine

With the diversification of people's demand for textile functions, the preparation of multifunctional fabrics is still a current research hotspot. In this study, the water-soluble epoxy compound N1, N6-bis(oxiran-2-ylmethyl) hexane-1,6-diamine (EH) was introduced into cellulose macromolecule blended fabrics (cotton/modal) by two-phase vaporization technique, resulting in excellent wrinkle, hydrophobicity, and certain UV protection effects. It could be observed by electron microscopy that EH formed a polymer film on the fiber surface. In addition, the results of EDS scans and fiber swelling rate tests showed that EH was uniformly distributed and formed a cross-linked structure in the amorphous zones inside the fibers. Compared with the control fabrics, the wrinkle recovery angle of the EH-treated fabric was increased by 39.7 %. The fabrics could reach a contact angle of 136.9°, providing excellent hydrophobic effect. In addition, the fabrics achieved certain UV protection effects (UPF of 50+). The EH-treated fabrics were less stabilized in strong acid and alkali conditions, but exhibited greater durability in other environments. In summary, the internal and external synergistic effects of EH in forming polymer films on the fibers surface and internal cross-linking structures provided a cleaner, simple, and feasible method for the preparation of multifunctional cellulose macromolecule fibers textiles.

Improved unilateral puncture PVP based on 3D printing technology for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture

To investigate the clinical effect of unilateral percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) combined with 3D printing technology for the treatment of thoracolumbar osteoporotic compression fracture. A total of 77 patients with thoracolumbar osteoporotic compression fractures from October 2020 to April 2022 were included in the study, all of which were vertebral body compression fractures caused by trauma. According to different treatment methods, they were divided into experimental group and control group. Thirty-two patients used 3D printing technology to improve unilateral transpedicle puncture vertebroplasty in the experimental group, there were 5 males and 27 females, aged from 63 to 91 years old with an average of (77.59±8.75) years old. Forty-five patients were treated with traditional bilateral pedicle puncture vertebroplasty, including 7 males and 38 females, aged from 60 to 88 years old with an average of(74.89±7.37) years old. Operation time, intraoperative C-arm X-ray times, anesthetic dosage, bone cement injection amount, bone cement diffusion good and good rate, complications, vertebral height, kyphotic angle (Cobb angle), visual analogue scale(VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI) and other indicators were recorded before and after surgery, and statistically analyzed. All patients were followed up for 6 to 23 months, with preoperative imaging studies, confirmed for thoracolumbar osteoporosis compression fractures, two groups of patients with postoperative complications, no special two groups of patients' age, gender, body mass index (BMI), time were injured, the injured vertebral distribution had no statistical difference(P>0.05), comparable data. Two groups of patients with bone cement injection, bone cement dispersion rate, preoperative and postoperative vertebral body height, protruding after spine angle(Cobb angle), VAS, ODI had no statistical difference(P>0.05). The operative time, intraoperative fluoroscopy times and anesthetic dosage were statistically different between the two groups(P<0.05). Compared with the traditional bilateral puncture group, the modified unilateral puncture group combined with 3D printing technology had shorter operation time, fewer intraoperative fluoroscopy times and less anesthetic dosage. The height of anterior vertebral edge, kyphosis angle (Cobb angle), VAS score and ODI of the affected vertebrae were statistically different between two groups at each time point after surgery(P<0.05). In the treatment of thoracolumbar osteoporotic compression fractures, 3D printing technology is used to improve unilateral puncture PVP, which is convenient and simple, less trauma, short operation time, fewer fluoroscopy times, satisfactory distribution of bone cement, vertebral height recovery and kyphotic Angle correction, and good functional improvement.

Development and Characterization of Sustainable Coatings on Cellulose Fabric and Nonwoven for Medical Applications

The modification of cellulose woven fabrics and viscose nonwovens was carried out with the aim of preparing sustainable coatings from biodegradable natural polymers. The modification of fabrics with biodegradable natural polymers represents an ecological alternative to other textile modifications, such as the sol-gel process. Coatings were prepared from erythritol, gelatin, and collagen in various formulations with the addition of propolis and alginate fibers and a natural plasticizer (glycerin). The morphology of the materials was determined before and after modification with Dino-Lite. Moreover, the pH value, the drop test method, the angle recovery angle, the thickness, and the mass per unit area were monitored before and after modification. The results have shown that modifications had no significant effect on the thickness or mass per unit area. In contrast, in a larger proportion, they show hydrophilic properties, which favor their application for medical purposes—for example; for the absorption of exudates in wound dressings; etc. In addition, due to the neutral and slightly alkaline pH values of the modified samples, they can be suitable for external application on the skin. The results of the recovery angle of the modified samples proved that the samples did not tend to crease and that they retained their elasticity after modification with a very pleasant textile feel (fabric hand), making them even more suitable for everyday applications.

Enhancing Cotton Fabric Softness and Wrinkle Resistance through Optimized Formulation of Nano ZnO and Benzalkonium Chloride-Enriched RinseCycle Softener

This work attempts optimization of a multifunctional single rinse softener formulation for cotton fabric for domestic usage, catering to the growing customer demand for softeners with enhanced performance. Present section is part-I of the entire study. The primary objective is to determine the effects of optimized and developed formulation on softness and wrinkle resistance properties. We synthesized polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) stabilized nano-ZnO particles using the sol-gel method and characterized them using UV-VIS spectrophotometry, particle size analyser and X-ray diffraction. Atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques were utilized for fabric sample analysis. Objective measurements using the Kawabata evaluation system, subjective softness assessments and crease recovery angle were recorded. The results demonstrated a significant enhancement in fabric softness, crease recovery and low stress mechanical properties through the application of this single rinse softener formulation. Any improving or diminishing effects on softness and crease recovery angle due to the presence of nano-ZnO (nano zinc oxide) and BAC (Bezalkonium chloride) were insightful.

Unraveling the link: locomotor activity exerts a dual role in predicting Achilles tendon healing and boosting regeneration in mice.

Tendon disorders present significant challenges in the realm of musculoskeletal diseases, affecting locomotor activity and causing pain. Current treatments often fall short of achieving complete functional recovery of the tendon. It is crucial to explore, in preclinical research, the pathways governing the loss of tissue homeostasis and its regeneration. In this context, this study aimed to establish a correlation between the unbiased locomotor activity pattern of CRL:CD1 (ICR) mice exposed to uni- or bilateral Achilles tendon (AT) experimental injuries and the key histomorphometric parameters that influence tissue microarchitecture recovery. The study involved the phenotyping of spontaneous and voluntary locomotor activity patterns in male mice using digital ventilated cages (DVC®) with access to running wheels either granted or blocked. The mice underwent non-intrusive 24/7 long-term activity monitoring for the entire study period. This period included 7 days of pre-injury habituation followed by 28 days post-injury. The results revealed significant variations in activity levels based on the type of tendon injury and access to running wheels. Notably, mice with bilateral lesions and unrestricted wheel access exhibited significantly higher activity after surgery. Extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, including COL1 deposition and organization, blood vessel remodeling, and metaplasia, as well as cytological tendon parameters, such as cell alignment and angle deviation were enhanced in surgical (bilateral lesion) and husbandry (free access to wheels) groups. Interestingly, correlation matrix analysis uncovered a strong relationship between locomotion and microarchitecture recovery (cell alignment and angle deviation) during tendon healing. Overall, this study highlights the potential of using mice activity metrics obtained from a home-cage monitoring system to predict tendon microarchitecture recovery at both cellular and ECM levels. This provides a scalable experimental setup to address the challenging topic of tendon regeneration using innovative and animal welfare-compliant strategies.

Surgical Treatment for Patients with Post-traumatic Flexion Contracture of Proximal Interphalangeal Joint: Analysis of Various Affecting Factors.

Background: A flexion contracture (FC) of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint can have a profound negative influence on daily activity. The outcomes of surgical release of the PIP joint in literature are based on small sample size studies done several decades ago. The aim of this study is to report the outcomes of surgical treatment for post-traumatic FC of the PIP joint and to identify factors that affect these outcomes. Methods: This single institute retrospective study included patients from 2000 to 2020. We only included patients with post-traumatic FC of the PIP joint. We evaluated the demographic characteristics, cause of FC, surgical approaches and the various procedures conducted. We surveyed postoperative complications. During the study period, we asked about their current symptoms and evaluated their operative outcomes as excellent, good, fair or poor through the phone. Results: The average FC recovery angle was 37.3°. The small finger was the most affected, and the most common cause of FC was a tendon laceration. The volar plate complex release was the most frequently conducted procedure. The FC improvement was positively correlated to the degree of preoperative FC. The more severe preoperative flexion-extension arc was presented, the more FC recovery was achieved after operation. Patients who underwent multiple procedures had a higher degree of preoperative FC, and better correction was achieved with multiple procedures than with a single procedure. The most critical complication was recurrence. Conclusions: We were able to obtain average 37.3° of extension by surgical treatment. The more severe the FC presented before surgery, the greater the need for multiple procedures, however, this resulted in a significant increase in joint extension. Nevertheless, caution should be exercised regarding recurrence and could occur even with an experienced surgeon. Level of Evidence: Level IV (Therapeutic).

Highly efficient cross-linking of reactive dyes in the amorphous zones of cotton fabric to simultaneously improve color and wrinkle properties

Dyeing and wrinkle-finishing of cotton fabric is generally achieved through two steps, which consumes a lot of energy and generates a lot of colored wastewaters. In this study, we report an energy-saving and cost-reducing dyeing process that enhanced the cross-linking degree of double reactive group dye in the amorphous zone of cotton fabric, which in turn improved the wrinkle resistance of cotton fabric as well as the utilization of the dye. Compared with the traditional dyeing processes, the method could improve K/S values by 69.7%, dye fixation by 22.4%, and wrinkle recovery angle by 21.5% for dyed cotton fabric. The wrinkle recovery angle of the dyed cotton fabric increased with the increase of cross-linking degree. The cross-section of cotton fibers changed from a flattened girdle shape to an elliptical or rounded shape, and the mid-cavity structure became smaller or even disappeared. In addition, the cross-linked structures could hinder the degradation of fiber macromolecular chains by cellulases. This meant that the better the wrinkle resistance of the dyed cotton fabric, the lower the glucose content in the degradation solution. Compared with the conventional dyeing processes, this dyeing method could be saved 36.5% of dyes and 28.4% of alkali for per 1 kg of cotton fabric, and the cost could be saved by 56.1%. The dye concentration in the waste water was reduced by 43.2%. This method had certain advantages in terms of economic and environmental.

Simultaneously Dyeing and Durable Press Finishing of Cotton Fabric

Cotton is the most widely used cellulosic material in the textile industry, especially for apparel purposes but, has a tendency to wrinkle badly, degrading its aesthetic value and have poor smoothed drying properties. Dyeing and crease resistance finishing process are applied to improve the wrinkle resistance and its aesthetic value respectively. Conventionally, dyeing and durable finishing of cotton is conducted separately by dyeing cotton first, and then finished with a cross-linking agent. However, these traditional processes are time and chemical consume processes. Many researchers have attempted to combine dyeing and easy-care finishing process in to one step. The challenge was difficult to produce fabrics that have deep shades, good Colour fastness and excellent crease recovery performance simultaneously. Hence, the aim of this work was to conduct combined dyeing and easy-care finishing of cotton fabrics with reactive dyes, citric acid and fibroin solution using pad–dry–cure methods. In this work, fibroin is used as an additive to enhance the degree of cross-linking and as a cat ionizing agent to improve the exhaustion of the dye. The parameters were investigated and optimize with respect to colour strength, colour fastness and mechanical properties of the treated fabric. The efficiency of combined dyed and finished fabrics with reactive dye, citric acid and fibroin has been studied. Better colour strength, crease recovery angle, breaking strength, and fastness properties were obtained as compared with conventional process. When the concentration of fibroin increased the K/S values, colour fastness properties, and crease resistance properties were improved.

Utilization of Microencapsulated Thyme Essential Oil for Aroma Treatment of Wool Fabric

Background: With rising global trends and changing lifestyles in fashion, beauty as well as healthcare, the awareness of consumers has enforced the evolution of specialty value-added textiles. Essential oils and basic aromatherapy ingredients are microencapsulated and applied to the materials to provide a therapeutic effect and long-lasting aromas. The present study was carried out to prepare thyme essential oil microcapsules using a complex coacervation technique. The prepared microcapsules were applied on wool fabric using pad-dry-cure method by optimizing various variables of aroma treatment.&#x0D; Methods: Thyme essential oil was used based on its aromatic and therapeutic properties. A complex coacervation technique of microencapsulation was used to prepare thyme oil microcapsules. The padding bath components and treatment variables were optimized based on the presence of microcapsules on wool fabric as observed under a stereo zoom microscope, aroma durability to washing and improved properties of treated material regarding bending length, flexural rigidity and crease recovery angle. The aroma treatment was given on wool fabric using pad-dry-cure method.&#x0D; Results: Optimized variables for aroma treatment were 60 g/l microcapsule gel, two g/l softeners and ten g/l binder concentration, 1:20 material to liquor ratio, 35 ºC temperature, and 30 minutes treatment time as at these conditions more number of microcapsules, longer wash durability and better fabric properties in terms of bending length, flexural rigidity and crease recovery angle were observed. Aroma-treated wool fabric were dried at 70 ºC temperature for 4 minutes and cured at 100 ºC for 60 seconds.&#x0D; Conclusions: Thyme essential oil has many reported therapeutic properties therefore microencapsulated thyme basic oil-treated wool fabric can be used for apparel, home, and healthcare textiles. Higher concentrations of microcapsule gel and lower concentrations of softener and binder promoted the deposition of a maximum number of microcapsules on wool fabric. Complex coacervation techniques of microencapsulation for preparation of thyme essential oil microcapsules and pad-dry-cure method to impart durable aroma treatment on wool are needed to acquire long term sustained finish.