ICP-OES determination of metals present in textile materials

The aim of this work was to quantify the content of elements present in textile materials since it is known that textiles containing metals may represent a health hazard to consumers. Determination of metal content can be also useful to the textile industry since some metals present in textiles may contribute to problems during textile production. Extraction of metals from different textile materials was performed in an artificial acidic sweat solution according to the Öko Tex standard for materials coming into direct contact with the skin. After extraction from textile products made of cotton, flax, wool, silk, viscose, and polyester materials, all elements were determined by means of inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Results in the sweat extracts (minimum-maximum in μg/mL) were: Al 0.11-1.58, Cd 0.02-0.05, Cr 0.01-0.32, Cu 0.05-1.95, Mn 0.01-2.17, and Ni 0.05-0.10. Concentrations of other elements were bellow detection limits. The total amount of metals present was determined after microwave assisted acidic digestion of textile materials with 7 M nitric acid. According to the results, the majority of the detected elements were below the concentration limits given by the Öko Tex, and for this reason the textile materials investigated do not represent a health hazard to consumers.     

Synthetic fabrics coated with zinc oxide nanoparticles by electroless deposition: Structural characterization and wetting properties

Electroless deposition was successfully applied in developing crystalline particles of zinc oxide onto polyester textile materials; this deposition is here presented in comparison with other materials made from poly(lactic acid), polyamide or hemp. Structural and spectroscopic characterization of the raw and deposited samples has been performed. The structure of zinc oxide particles was that of wurtzite type as indicated by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Crystallites were 20–500 nm in diameter and up to 1 µm in length. The grown particles cover the fibers not only on the fabric surface but in the textile depth. Contact angle measurement by the sessile drop method was used to study the wettability behavior of the investigated composite systems. The hierarchical roughness structure generates superhydrophobic properties onto polyester fabrics, for which water contact angles exceed 150°. The other functionalized samples also become more hydrophobic after deposition. Cassie‐Baxter model was found suitable to describe the behavior, though the fraction of surface occupied by the water–solid interface is high enough. The electroless deposition technique applied previously for cotton fabrics was once more proven to be highly reproducible, easy scalable, and cheap, allowing a wide range of applications. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013, 51, 1427–1437     

Pre-formed activated carbon matting derived from the pyrolysis of biomass natural fibre textile waste

Low grade biomass fibre produced as a by-product from the flax and hemp industry was manufactured into a non-woven, pre-formed matting material via entanglement, layering and needling. The advantage of such a structure is that textile technology is used to form a self supporting fibre matrix, utilising the ease with which fibre can be worked. The non-woven matting was then pyrolysed and gasified with steam to produce activated carbon. The influence of pyrolysis process conditions on the production of chars and activated carbon from the pre-formed, non-woven textile matting were investigated.     

Effect of Charge and Hydrophobicity on Adsorption of Modified Starches on Polyester

Polyester fabric (poly(ethylene terephthalate)) is a hydrophobic polymer. Its hydrophobic nature can be a disadvantage for certain applications like dyeing, finishing, detergency, etc. Physical or chemical modification of the polyester to make it more hydrophilic is therefore desirable for certain performance characteristics. Surface modification of polyester to make it hydrophilic can be achieved by adsorbing polymers on the polyester surface. Starch is a commonly available, hydrophilic polymer used in many textile applications that can be used to modify polyester. However, it needs to be chemically modified so that it can adsorb on the polyester fabric and physically modify the fabric characteristics. The polymers used in this study are two different modified starches—cationic and anionic starches and mixtures of the two. The adsorption kinetics on a polyester substrate was studied. The effect of charge and hydrophobicity on adsorption was investigated. Cationic starches were shown to readily adsorb on polyester and this was attributed to electrostatic interactions. Hydrophobic substituents on the cationic moiety resulted in increased adsorption. This was attributed to the weak hydrophobic interaction between the polymer chains which could result in a more coiled polymer conformation. It is hypothesized that more starch molecules are required for surface coverage of the polyester, resulting in an increase in adsorption. Anionic starch was adsorbed on the substrate but at a slower rate than the cationic starches. It is likely that there is a H bonding between acid groups on the starch and the ester groups of the polyester. However, the anionic starch is desorbed when the polyester is placed in an aqueous medium. When a blend of cationic starch and anionic starch was used, a low concentration of anionic starch was seen to increase adsorption, indicating that the polyelectrolyte complex itself may be adsorbing on the substrate. Further increases cause a decrease in adsorption as no sites may be available on the complex for adsorption. When hydrophobic substituents are present, addition of the anionic starch causes a decrease in adsorption at all concentrations. This was attributed to the “crosslinking” between the hydrophobically modified starch and the anionic polymer.     

Hydrophobization of polyester textile materials with telomeric tetrafluoroethylene solutions

Hydrophobic coatings formed on a polyester fabric by treatment with telomeric solutions prepared by a radiation-chemical procedure in acetone and butyl chloride were studied by IR spectroscopy (MATIR), energy-dispersive analysis, and atomic force microscopy. The hydrophobic properties of the textile material were evaluated by procedures traditional for textile chemistry. Conditions determining the formation of a thin, highly hydrophobic, uniform, and flawless coating resistant to the effect of operation factors were suggested.     

Analysis of a polytetrafluoroethylene coating deposited onto polyester fibers from supercritical carbon dioxide

A low-molecular-weight polytetrafluoroethylene coating deposited onto a polyester textile material from supercritical carbon dioxide with the aim to make the material hydrophobic was analyzed. The hydrophobic properties of the coating were examined in comparison with those of the hydrophobizing agent produced by Nuva (Switzerland).     

Development of a new styrene copolymer membrane for recycling of polyester fibre dyeing effluent

A new ultra-filtration membrane has been developed using indigenously available polymer, low cost solvents and a simple casting technique. The performance evaluation of the developed membrane in terms of pure water permeability (PWP), flux and rejection as compared to commercially available national and international membranes was carried out. It is observed that the newly developed membranes show acceptable performance both in terms of flux and rejection. The compressibility characteristic of the new membrane shows an improvement after suitable chemical modification through cross-linking reactions. The application perspectives of the membranes developed in our laboratory have been evaluated for the selective separation of dyes from typical textile waste stream of polyester fibre dyeing units with an aim to recover and recirculate the auxiliary chemicals and water in the process house. The rejection of dyes >98% and the permeate flux (0.8–1.0 m³/m² per day) values obtained for a specific type of textile effluent is of acceptable standards.The membranes were characterised for pore size and pore size distribution using molecular weight cut-off, combined bubble pressure and solvent permeability method. Membrane morphology has been studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The other features of the developed membrane are its resistance to temperature and adverse chemical environment.     

Enhanced self-cleaning, antibacterial and UV protection properties of nano TiO2 treated textile through enzymatic pretreatment

Textile materials can be treated with some enzymes to improve their functionality. The usual enzymatic treatment hydrolyzes the textile surfaces that leads to increase the functional groups. Here, the polyester/wool fabric as a blend of fibers fabric was selected and treated with the two different types of enzymes to increase the surface activity with a propose of higher nano-TiO(2) adsorption. The fabric was first treated with proteases and lipases to hydrolyze the wool and the polyester surfaces, respectively. It has been then dipped into an ultrasound bath containing nano TiO(2) and cross-linking agent followed by curing. The cross-linking agent, butane tetracarboxylic acid (BTCA), also assisted to enhance the nano-particles adsorption and stabilization on the fabric surface. The self-cleaning properties of the fabrics were examined through evaluating the color removal from the stained fabric with Acid Blue 113. The antibacterial properties were determined by reduction growth of a Gram-negative bacteria E. coli. and the UV protection was assessed by UV-reflectance spectrum. The SEM pictures and EDX spectrums of some samples were also reported.     

Determination of the heatsetting temperature of polyester by TMA

The determination of the effective temperature of the thermal treatment applied to polyester substrates in the textile process has been broadly studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In this investigation, the authors have studied the possibilities of the thermomechanical analysis (TMA) as a method for the determination of this temperature. For this purpose, fabrics of polyester heatset in an industrial plant between 160 and 210°C, have been analyzed by DSC and TMA. The good results obtained show the possibilities of this technique for the determination of the effective temperature of a thermal treatment. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Characterization of ligno-cellulosic seed fibre from Wrightia Tinctoria plant for textile applications—an exploratory investigation

A hitherto uninvestigated ligno-cellulosic seed fibre from the plant Wrightia Tinctoria has been chosen for the current study to unravel its physical properties, and potentialities in textile applications. Both raw and partially delignified fibres were tested for their morphological and structural features by X-ray diffraction, optical microscope and FT-IR spectra, thermal properties by thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry and fibre fineness properties. The non-spinnable brittle virgin fibre becomes spinnable after partial delignification due to the decreased fibre rigidity imparted by lignin. Knitted fabrics were made successfully with (20%) and without cotton blending.     

Toward a comprehensive understanding of textiles functionalized with silver nanoparticles

This article provides a comprehensive understanding of development of textiles functionalized with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). There are three established methods to fabricate textiles functionalized with AgNPs, namely, solution‐immersion, layer‐by‐layer deposition, and sonochemical. In addition, several textile types such as cotton, wool, polyester, silk, cotton/polyester blend, polyamide, and regenerated cellulose have been used for the fabrication. The AgNP deposition mechanism on textiles is mainly due to electrostatic interaction between AgNPs and textile constituents. It was exhibited that the deposition of AgNPs on textiles can transform their textiles colors. In addition, it was demonstrated that the deposition of AgNPs on textiles is not permanent, particularly against washing treatment. Textiles modified with AgNPs have several promising applications such as antibacterial, antifungal, catalyst, electronic devices, water treatment, sun protection, air treatment, and surface‐enhanced Raman scattering, which are comprehensively discussed in this article. Future challenges in fabricating textiles functionalized with AgNPs remain on how this can be carried out to improve long‐term stabilization of AgNPs on textiles to achieve their permanent deposition by employing greener approaches.     

Flame retardant chemical mechanisms of flame retardant viscose fibres and blends with polyester

A systematic investigation of structurally identical flame retardant viscose, modal and polyester blended fabrics and fibres was carried out in order to develop a chemical basis for more effective products based on organic and inorganic flame retardants. The oxygen indices and chemical compositions of phosphorus-nitrogen flame retardants (P-N) were used in efficiency and synergy evaluations. A new flame retardant viscose fibre containing silicid acid was included in the comparative evaluation procedure. Thermal gravimetry and X-ray diffractometry were used for determine physical factors during pyrolyzing of fibres. Charred residues were analyzed by applying elementary and solid 13-C NMR (CPMAS) spectrometry. The pyrolysis gas-liquid chromatographer connected with a gas phase FT infrared spectrometer was applied to identify the decomposition products of P-N-containing fabrics.     

Hydrophobic Silica Sol Coatings on Textiles—the Influence of Solvent and Sol Concentration

Hydrophobic silica sol coatings on textiles were investigated with respect to the influence of the solvents and the concentration of the sol. For this purpose, two silica sols, prepared with the hydrophobic additives octyltriethoxysilane and perfluoroctyltriethoxysilane were diluted by different solvents: water, ethanol and aceton.In case of using pure water for dilution, the hydrophobicity of coated textiles decreases drastically with increasing dilution of the applied sol. For coatings on polyester fabrics or mixed fabrics made from polyester and cotton, the use of the organic solvents ethanol or aceton leads to significant hydrophobicity even in case of strong dilution down to a sol concentration < 1%. The hydrophobic effect of coated polyamide textile is less. The reason for different hydrophobicity of coated textiles resulting from the use of water instead of organic solvents is explained by different surface morphologies of the coatings deposited on the textile fibres, as observed by REM. In case of using organic solvents the coatings contain a more flat morphology which covers the fibres completely. In contrast, sols with higher water content lead to less adhesive coatings with crack formation.The use of a combination of water with less inflammable organic solvents such as di(propylene glycol) n-propyl ether (Dowanol^TM DPnP) in hydrophobic silica sols yields textile coatings with good hydrophobicity, even in case of low sol concentration. For practical application of textile coatings, especially silica sols with high water content are of interest, due to less risk of inflammation and lower ecological impact. Therefore, the use of water diluted hydrophobic silica sols with small amounts of DPnP offers a chance for textile refinement by the sol–gel technique.     

Determination of Heavy Metal Residues Content for Baby Clothes by AAS

Heavy metals may be introduced into textile products including baby clothes from various sources, not only from metal complex dyes and textile auxiliaries, but also from various environmental contaminants though biotransformation of fibre plant or man-bred furbearing animals.     

Using chemometric methods and NIR spectrophotometry in the textile industry

A quantitative and qualitative technique for identification of textiles, moisture measurements, textile coatings and process control was developed, using near infra-red spectroscopy (NIR) in combination with chemometric methods. These applications demonstrate by the use of computer assisted data processing the possibility of identifying textile fibers, not only for quality control but also for online textile recycling processes. In this study, seven various textile fibers (cotton, polyester, viscose, silk, wool, polyacrylonitrile, acetate) were used and all combinations of two factor blends were qualitatively identified using NIR spectroscopy and the chemometric PLS2 method for the calibration.

A quantitative analysis of textile moisture can also be performed with this technique. Water content above 50% does not deliver good results for a calibration set to determine the dampness of fibers. But to measure residual moisture from ≈0.05 up to 50%, the NIR technique is particularly good. Furthermore, the examination shows that the NIR method and chemometric methods can be used in quality- and product-control during the industrial production of upholstery fabrics. With this technique it will be possible to identify nylon flocks and to measure the residual moisture of the flocks and fabric, too.     

Mechanical properties of hybrid glass/sugar palm fibre reinforced unsaturated polyester composites

A research has been carried out to investigate the mechanical properties of composites made by hybridizing sugar palm fibre (Arenga pinnata) with glass fibre into an unsaturated polyester matrix. Hybrid composites of glass/sugar palm fibre were fabricated in different weight ratios of strand mat glass fibres: sugar palm fibres 4:0, 4:1, 4:2, 4:3, 4:4, and 0:4. The hybrid effects of glass and sugar palm fibre on tensile, flexural and impact properties of the composites were evaluated according to ASTM D5083, ASTM D790 and ASTM D256 respectively. Results have been established that properties of hybrid glass/sugar palm composites such as tensile strength, tensile modulus, elongation at break, toughness, flexural strength, flexural modulus and impact strength are a function of fibre content. The failure mechanism and the adhesion between fibres/matrix were studied by observing the scanning electron micrographs of impact fracture samples. In general, the incorporation of both fibres into unsaturated polyester matrix shows a regular trend of increase in the mechanical properties.     

Silicone nanomicelle dyeing method on polyester fibre: Comparative evaluation of chemical properties,fastness properties,and DFT

Disperse Red 177(9a), Disperse Red 343(9b), Disperse Blue 165(9c), Disperse Blue 165.1(9d), Disperse Blue 366(9e), and Disperse Blue 148(9f) were examined in the solvent. During silicon nanomicelle dyeing, we employed 9(a–f) azo disperse dyes on polyester. On polyester fabric, dye 9(a–f) offers equal washing, light, and rubbing fastness in both the conventional and silicone nanomicelle techniques. The dye can now be transported directly into the fibre core without the use of auxiliary dyes owing to the reduction in the particle size of azo dyes, which is made possible by nanoemulsions superior dispersion. The levelling property of the dispersed dye is enhanced by the dyeing process. When both techniques are applied, the lightfastness properties of all dyes are improved. It provides a very good to outstanding protection factor for textile materials. These 9(a–f) azo disperse dyes have moderate to outstanding photostability, net electrophilicity index, and lightfastness.     

改性角蛋白纤维中蛋白质与脂类组成变化的分析

本文采用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳和薄层色谱,对经过化学改性处理后的角蛋白纤维中的蛋白质和脂类组成进行了分析。结果表明,羊毛纤维中的蛋白质和脂类的组成变化,可反映出纤维结构的变化,并能够预示纤维的纺织性能。     

Wet or dry multifunctional coating prepared by visible light polymerisation with fire retardant,thermal protective,and antimicrobial properties

Cellulose - Cotton, the most popular textile fibre used today, suffers from high combustibility and a propensity for microbial growth. In this study, we used oxygen tolerant, visible...     

Disperse Dyes Based on 5‐Arylazo‐thiazol‐2‐ylcarbamoyl‐thiophenes: Synthesis,Antimicrobial Activity and Their Application on Polyester

A series of novel 5‐arylazo‐thiazol‐2‐ylcarbamoyl‐thiophene derivatives was synthesized, and their chemical structures were secured by elemental and spectroscopic analyses. Their versatility for pharmaceutical purposes and textile dyeing as disperse dyes were reported. The synthesized dyes were applied to polyester fabrics by using high temperature dyeing method at 130°C. The dyed polyester fabrics displayed very good washing and perspiration fastness and moderate light fastness. Finally, the synthesized compounds showed biological activities against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus (Gram positive bacteria), Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Gram‐negative bacteria), while no effect had been reported against fungi. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the most active compound was evaluated.