Improvement of colour strength and colourfastness properties of gamma irradiated cotton using reactive black-5

The dyeing behaviour of gamma irradiated cotton fabric using Reactive Black-5 dye powder has been investigated. The mercerized, bleached and plain weaved cotton fabric was irradiated to different absorbed doses of 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 Gy using Co-60 gamma irradiator. Dyeing was performed using irradiated and un-irradiated cotton with dye solutions. The dyeing parameters such as temperature of dyeing, time of dyeing and pH of dyeing solutions were optimised. The colour strength values of dyed fabrics were evaluated by comparing irradiated and un-irradiated cotton in CIE Lab system using Spectra flash SF650. Methods suggested by International Standard Organisation (ISO) were employed to study the effect of gamma irradiation on the colourfastness properties of dyed fabric. It is found that gamma irradiated cotton dyed with Reactive Black-5 has not only improved the colour strength but also enhanced the rating of fastness properties.     

Effect of mercerization and gamma irradiation on the dyeing behaviour of cotton using stilbene based direct dye

The dyeing behaviour of mercerized and gamma irradiated cotton fabric using stilbene based direct dye has been investigated. The fabric was treated with different concentrations of alkali to optimize the mercerization. The optimum mercerized cotton fabric was irradiated to absorbed doses of 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 kGy using Cs-137 gamma irradiator. Dyeing was performed using irradiated and un-irradiated cotton with dye solutions. The dyeing parameters such as temperature, time of dyeing, pH of dyeing solutions and salt concentration were optimized. The colour strength values of dyed fabrics were evaluated by comparing irradiated and un-irradiated cotton in CIE Lab system using Spectra flash SF650. Methods suggested by International Standard Organization (ISO) were employed to study the effect of gamma irradiation on the colourfastness properties of dyed fabric. It was found that mercerized and irradiated cotton have not only improved the colour strength but enhanced the rating of fastness properties also.     

Investigation into the removal of an easy-care crosslinking agent from cotton and the subsequent regeneration of lyocell-type fibres

Dimethylol dihydroxyethylene urea (DMDHEU)-treated cotton fabrics were treated with alkali or alternatively acid followed by alkali for increasing time periods, and their effectiveness in removing the crosslinking agent was investigated by surface (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) analysis, bulk analysis, crease recovery angle performance and solubility in specific solvents. The cellulose yield after the chemical stripping processes was established and the effect of the acid and alkali treatments on the degree of polymerisation of the resultant cellulose determined. Surface and bulk analyses and solubility tests suggested that alkali alone could not remove the DMDHEU from the crease-resist-treated cotton fabric. However, a sequential acid/alkali treatment effectively removed the easy-care finish from the cotton fabric and produced a commercially viable yield of cellulose.     

Effects of gamma and electron beam irradiation on the properties of calendered cord fabrics

The effects of gamma and e-beam irradiation on mechanical and structural properties of nylon 66 (Ny 66), nylon 6 (Ny 6) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fabrics used in tyres were investigated. The untreated (greige), treated cords and calendered fabrics were irradiated at different doses. It is found that the effects of high energy irradiation on greige, treated cords and calendered fabrics are similar. No protective effect of compounds used in calendering was observed against radiation-induced oxidative degradation. The deterioration effect of gamma irradiation on mechanical properties is much higher than that of e-beam irradiation for all types of samples. Limiting viscosity numbers of both gamma and e-beam irradiated nylon 6 and nylon 66 cords were found to decrease with increasing dose. It is concluded that PET calendered fabric has higher resistance to ionizing radiation. Ny 6 and Ny 66 calendered fabrics are more sensitive even at low doses. Therefore, the effects of high energy irradiation on tyre cords have to be taken into consideration during tyre design reinforced with particularly Ny fabrics if pre-vulcanization with high energy radiation is to be applied.     

Influence of gamma radiation on the colour strength and fastness properties of fabric using turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) as natural dye

The effect of gamma radiation on the dyeing of cotton with extract of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) powder has been investigated. Cotton fabric and turmeric powder were irradiated to absorbed doses of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 kGy using Co-60 gamma irradiator. Dyeing parameters such as temperature, pH and mordant concentration were optimized. Dyeing was performed using un-irradiated and irradiated cotton with the extracts of un-irradiated and irradiated turmeric powder in order to investigate the effect of radiation treatment on the colour strength of dyed fabric. The reported data of un-irradiated and irradiated fabrics dyed with un-irradiated and irradiated dyes were obtained using the spectraflash SF-650. The colourfastness to light, rubbing- and washing-fastness properties showed that gamma irradiation has improved the dyeing characteristics from fair to good.     

Surface and bulk chemical analysis of the durability of an easy care finish on cotton

The wash durability of the easy care finish Dimethylol Dihydroxyethylene Urea (DMDHEU) on cotton fabric under ISO 105 CO6 and CO9 test conditions and extended domestic laundering conditions was investigated by surface and bulk sensitive techniques, in particular X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, elemental analysis and crease recovery angle performance. The presence of the finish was detected at the fibre surface through the N (1 s) photoelectron signal and saturation of the fibre surface with finish was demonstrated. The stability of the DMDHEU to ISO 105 CO6 and ISO 105 CO9 washing and domestic laundering was investigated and the durability of the DMDHEU finish on cotton demonstrated. The type of cross-linking between the DMDHEU and the cellulosic polymer chains was studied and related to the crease recovery performance. The implications for recycling of the treated fibre via fibre regeneration are discussed.     

The effect of gamma irradiation on mechanical, and thermal properties of recycling polyethylene terephthalate and low density polyethylene (R-PET/LDPE) blend compatibilized by ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA)

A study has been made on the compatibility of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (R-PET) and low density polyethylene (LDPE) blend in the presence of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) as a compatibilizing agent prepared by extrusion hot stretching process. EVA content in the blend as a compatibilizing agent was an enhancement effect on radiation crosslinking of R-PET/EVA/LDPE blends and the highest radiation crosslinking was obtained when the EVA content was reached at 10 % EVA when irradiated by gamma irradiation. Blends containing different (EVA) ratios were irradiated to different doses of gamma irradiation 25, 50 and 100 kGy. The effect of the compatibilizer and radiation on mechanical, thermal properties of R-PET together with LDPE and morphology has been investigated. It was found that gamma irradiation together with the presence of compatibilizing agent (EVA) has positive effect on the mechanical and thermal properties of R-PET/LDPE blend. The structural properties of R-PET/LDPE modified by gamma irradiation and EVA as compatibilizing agent was examined by SEM. Also, it was found that the optimum concentration of EVA and gamma irradiation dose was found to be 10 % EVA and 100 kGy, respectively.     

UV-induced graft polymerization of acrylamide on cellulose by using immobilized benzophenone as a photo-initiator

Photo-active moiety, benzophenone, was incorporated onto cotton fabrics by using butyl tetracarboxylic acids (BTCA). Then, grafting of polyacrylamide on the cotton fabrics was performed by exposing the fabrics to longer UV wavelength irradiation. The chemical structure and thermal properties of the polyacrylamide grafted cotton fabrics were investigated by SEM, FTIR, XRD, and TGA, and the results verified the successful grafting of polyacrylamide on cotton fabrics. Also, it was observed that active chlorine contents were created on the polyacrylamide grafted cotton fabrics through simple chlorination process, and the chlorine treated cotton fabrics showed excellent antibacterial abilities like the powerful cyclic amide halamines.     

Effect of Nano TiO2 on Self-cleaning Property of Cross-linking Cotton Fabric with Succinic Acid Under UV Irradiation

Optimization of curing cotton textiles through self-cleaning property constructs the main goal of the present study. Cotton fabrics with 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 on weight of bath percent were cured by nano titanium dioxide (P25 Degussa) with cross-link and non cross-link methods. In this study, succinic acid was used as a cross-link agent to attach TiO₂ to the cotton. The amount of loaded titania particles to cotton fabrics and the thermal behavior of cured samples were studied by the burning method and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. Self-cleaning degree of cured samples, stained with natural and synthesized dyes under irradiation of 20 and 400 W UV lamps was investigated by a reflectance spectrophotometer. The structure and morphology of treated cotton fabrics were investigated using scanning electron microscopy and crystallinity of titania coatings by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. The tearing strengths of titania-coated cotton fabrics before and after light irradiation were measured. Results showed that the stability of nano TiO₂ coating and self-cleaning degree of treated samples with cross-link method were much higher than those of non cross-link method, and cotton cellulosic chains were not decomposed by the photocatalytic activity of titania.     

Thermal properties of cotton fabric modified with poly (propylene imine) dendrimers

For the first time, thermal stability and flame retardant properties of cotton fabrics modified with poly (propylene imine) dendrimer (PPI-dendrimer) using cross linking agents have been reported. The PPI-dendrimers can be considered as novel nitrogen flame retardant agents, because they contain a large number of nitrogen-containing groups (amine end groups), which may release nitrogen gas or ammonia. In this paper, the effect of the PPI-dendrimers on thermal behavior of cotton fabric is investigated through thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, flammability (in vertical configuration) and limiting oxygen index tests. Indeed, both thermal stability and flame retarancy of the modified fabrics have significantly enhanced. Furthermore, field emission scanning electron microscopy micrographs have been studied in order to evaluate morphology of the cotton samples. Crystallinity and physical properties including crease recovery angle, breaking strength, whiteness index and hygroscopicity of the samples have been also assessed.     

One‐Pot Synthesis of Cu2O/ZnO Nanoparticles at Present of Folic Acid to Improve UV‐Protective Effect of Cotton Fabrics

In this study, the effect of using folic acid on the in situ synthesis process of nanostructures has been investigated. Folic acid, as a biotemplate for synthesis of Cu₂O/ZnO, was used to improve the reducing and stabilizing the ability of cotton fabric and avoid agglomeration of the particles. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that using folic acid caused the formation of particles with smaller sizes on the cotton fabric and X‐ray diffraction confirmed the same crystalline pattern of nanoparticles in comparison with the previous synthesis process. The effect of using this biotemplate on different properties of treated fabrics including UV‐protection effect, hydrophilicity, crease recovery angle, softness, thickness and mechanical properties has been evaluated. The folic acid had a great influence on UV‐protection effect, in synthesis procedure, decreasing the droplet absorption time, bending length and improving the wrinkle resistance and mechanical properties. Interestingly, the higher tensile strength of the treated cotton fabrics proved the incorporation of nanoparticles into the cotton fibers. An in situ, green and rapid method can be provided by using folic acid for the synthesis of the nanostructures with controlled size.     

Durable flame‐retardant finishing for polyamide 66 fabrics by surface hydroxymethylation and crosslinking

This paper describes an attempt to develop a durable finishing method in order to improve the fire performance of polyamide 66 fabrics. Hydroxymethylation with a 36% formaldehyde aqueous solution in association with a pad‐curing process to enable the fabric to react with flame‐retardant solutions was used in the finishing process. The fire performance of treated samples was characterized by limiting oxygen index (LOI) and vertical flammability tests, and the results show that the LOI value can increase from 21.6% to 46.2%. The thermal behavior of untreated and treated polyamide 66 fabrics was investigated by using thermogravimetic analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Furthermore, residual char of treated fabric sample is much higher than that of untreated fabric sample. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy proves that the substituted hydroxymethyl groups do exist on the molecular chain of polyamide fabric sample after surface modification. The morphology of residue char of polyamide 66 fabric samples was analyzed by scanning electron microscope, and the mechanical properties were also investigated and discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Crosslinking of rigid PVC by ionizing radiation to improve its thermal properties

Rigid PVC formulations containing two different stabilizer systems (tin and Ca/Zn) and TMPTMA as a crosslinking agent were treated with ionizing radiation (gamma and electron beam) at different doses and irradiation atmospheres. The objective was to increase thermal and mechanical properties of this material. Polyene formation was followed through the yellowing index (YI), the extent of crosslinking by gel percentage, thermal resistance by Vicat temperature and the mechanical properties by DMA. Both formulations became colored with irradiation, especially with gamma as a result of a longer treatment time; the gel formation and the Vicat temperature were also higher for gamma treated samples, suggesting that values were enhanced by oxidation. However, DMA elastic modulus traces were almost similar for both treatments. The main difference observed for Ca/Zn samples compared with traditional tin samples was the lower ability of the former system in protecting the material against processing conditions.     

Using atmospheric pressure plasma for enhancing the deposition of printing paste on cotton fabric for digital ink-jet printing

Atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) treatment was applied as a pretreatment process to enhance the deposition of printing paste in order to improve the final colour properties of digital ink-jet printed cotton fabrics. Three printing pastes containing natural polymers, i.e. (1) sodium alginate, (2) chitosan and (3) sodium alginate-chitosan mixture, were prepared separately. After APP treatment, cotton fabric was padded with different printing pastes prior to digital ink-jet printing. Experimental results showed that APP pretreatment could increase the colour yield of the digital ink-jet printed cotton fabric significantly even after washing. In addition, other properties such as colour fastness to crocking, colour fastness to laundering, outline sharpness and anti-bacterial properties were also improved when compared with those of the control cotton fabric printed without APP pretreatment. However, the influence of printing paste on the colour properties of the digital ink-jet printed cotton fabrics depended very much on the composition of the printing paste. The scanning electron microscope images evidenced that the APP treatment could enhance the deposition of printing paste on the cotton fabric surface as proved qualitatively by both the contact angle and wetting time measurement as well as quantitatively by both the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and carboxyl group/nitrogen content analysis.     

Gamma irradiation of protein-based textiles for historical collections decontamination

In order to investigate the effect of gamma rays on cultural heritage materials, samples of silk and wool fabrics were subjected to accelerated ageing testing and then irradiated with different gamma-ray doses: 10 and 25 kGy. In the data analysis, combining thermal analysis (TG and DTG), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) and mechanical tests allowed us to explore the changes in physical and chemical features for silk and wool, in relationship to the radiation doses. This analytical protocol offers a way to examine the behaviour of the textiles made of wool and silk within museum collections and their response to gamma-rays irradiation treatment. An exposure to a dose of 10 kGy did not cause significant changes in the tested properties; however, higher doses initiated irreversible loss in the physical and chemical stability of protein-based fabrics. Increasing the irradiation dose above 10 kGy has drastic effects in the loss of elasticity and the mechanical resistance of the tested yarns.     

Effect of zinc oxide on flame retardant finishing of plasma pre-treated cotton fabric

An organic phosphorus compound (flame retardant agent, FR) in combination with a melamine resin (crosslinking agent, CL), phosphoric acid (catalyst, PA) and zinc oxide (co-catalyst, ZnO/nano-ZnO) imparted effective and durable flame retardant properties. Also, atmospheric pressure plasma jet was applied as pre-treatment to improve post-finishing (flame retardant finishing) on cotton fabrics. In the present paper, surface morphology, chemical structure analysis, combustibility and mechanical properties of plasma pre-treated cotton fabrics subjected to flame-retardant treatment were investigated. Surface morphology of treated cotton specimens showed roughened and wrinkled fabric surface with high deposition of the flame retardant finishing agent, which was caused by the plasma etching effect and attack of acidic FR. The FTIR-ATR spectra for the treated cotton specimens showed some new characteristic peaks in chemical structure, interpreted as carbonyl bands, OH stretching vibration, COO⁻ stretching vibration, CH₂ rocking band and CH₃ asymmetric and CH₂ symmetric stretching. Moreover, FR-CL-PA-treated specimens showed remarkable flame-retardant property, which was further improved by the plasma pre-treatment and ZnO/nano-ZnO co-catalyst. However, flame-retardant-treated cotton specimens had poor mechanical strength when compared with control sample, resulting from side effects of the crosslinking agent used, while plasma pre-treatment and ZnO/nano-ZnO co-catalyst may compensate for the reduction in tensile and tearing strength caused by flame-retardant agents.     

Crosslinking of recycled polyethylene by gamma and electron beam irradiation

Recycling of polymeric materials is usually accompanied by degradation and deleterious properties. Irradiation crosslinking of recycling low density polyethylene by electron beam and gamma rays could be the solution to improve their properties. This paper presents a comparison on the effects of gamma and electron irradiation on virgin and recycled polyethylene. Their mechanical, thermal and chemical properties were analyzed. VPE samples shown higher crosslinking percentages than RPE samples in all range of doses studied, unirradiated RPE samples had higher values on their tensile properties than VPE. Percentage crystallinity was similar in all range of doses studied.     

Novel UV-protective formulations for cotton, PET fabrics and their blend utilizing irradiation technique

A novel coating formulation to impart ultraviolet (UV) protection property to cotton, Polyethylene trephethalate (PET) and cotton/PET fabrics was prepared and gamma rays as an ionizing radiation was utilized for surface curing. Natural occurring aluminum potassium sulfate (Alum) was used individually and in binary coat with Zinc Oxide (ZnO), to induce the UV-blocking properties. It was found that using Alum (0.3 g/ml) caused a prompt increase in ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) over the uncoated fabrics. Moreover, the incorporated ZnO in the binary coat increased the UPF for two to threefold than the stand-alone Alum coating, specially in case of PET coated fabric. Water absorbance and moisture regain of ZnO and Alum/ZnO coated fabrics showed a decrease over the blank samples, due to the usage of oligomer/monomer combination. On contrary, Alum showed a hydrophilic effect with the increase in its content in the formulation. Surface Electron Microscope showed the homogenous coating of fibers. X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and water vapor permeability were also tested for coated samples.     

Radiation-induced degradation of hydroxyapatite/poly L-lactide composite biomaterial

The effects of gamma irradiation on the structure and properties of hydroxyapatite/poly L-lactide (HAp/PLLA) biomaterial have been investigated. Effects of radiation on microstructure, degradation of polymer part and thermal stability of composite were determined by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. Mechanical properties were obtained through mechanical strength and elasticity modulus. Presented results show that properties of HAp/PLLA decay with irradiation dose, but for doses required for sterilization, changes and damaging effects are acceptable.     

Antibacterial properties of Aloe vera gel-finished cotton fabric

In this study, cotton fabrics were finished with Aloe vera gel along with 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxlic acid as a crosslinking agent using the pad-dry-cure method. The finished fabrics were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The infrared spectra confirmed that the active ingredients of A. vera gel attached to the hydroxyl groups of cotton fabric via a carboxylic acid cross-linking agent. The antibacterial activity of A. vera-finished fabrics was qualitatively evaluated by the AATCC-147 method and scanning electron microscopy. It was observed that A. vera gel-finished fabric has much less bacterial adhesion. The A. vera gel-finished [concentration ≥3 % (w/v)] cotton fabric inhibited the growth of both gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. The mechanism of cell death by A. vera gel was evaluated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM photographs suggested that the cell death is due to the destruction of the bacterial cell wall. The finished fabric was also evaluated for its performance properties such as tensile strength, crease recovery angle, bending length, etc.