Microencapsulated fragrance was used to produce a fragrant textile product. Melamine–formaldehyde polymer wall microcapsules with a lavender, rosemary and sage essential oil core were applied to a cotton fabric in two ways, i.e. byscreen printing and impregnation. The samples were dried and cured, and then the differences between them were analysed. The condition and distribution of applied microcapsules were observed by scanning electron microscopy, fragrance evaluation was performed on printed and impregnated samples after they had been washed several times, and their handle properties were investigated. Moreover, the influence of artificial light on the wall of microcapsules was examined, and possible antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was evaluated. The change in colour of all samples as a consequence of the addition of microcapsules to the paste or bath was checked. The results show that both application techniques are appropriate for the effective fragrant but on the other hand ineffective antibacterial finishing of cotton fabrics. Artificial light did not affect the microcapsules. There is an impact on colour only when the capsules are printed to fabric. Both of the techniques used, printing and impregnation, have advantages as well as drawbacks.
This research aimed to study the influence of lyocell with incorporated ZnO (CLY) for antibacterial activity and biodegradation of fiber blends composed of viscose (CV), flax (LI), and CLY. Fiber blended samples with an increased weight fraction of CLY fibers were composed, and single CLY, CV and LI fibers were also used for comparison. Antibacterial activity was determined for the Gram-negative Escherichia coli and the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The biodegradation of fiber blends was investigated by the soil burial test. The results show that the single CLY fibers exhibited high antimicrobial activity against both E. coli and S. aureus bacteria and that the presence of LI fibers in the blended samples did not significantly affect antibacterial activity against E. coli, but drastically decreased the antibacterial activity against S. aureus. LI fibers strongly promoted the growth of S. aureus and, consequently, impaired the antimicrobial performance of ZnO against this bacterium. The presence of CLY fibers slowed down, but did not prevent, the biodegradation process of the fiber blends, even at the highest ZnO concentration. The soil that was in contact with the fiber blended samples during their burial was not contaminated to such an extent as to affect the growth of sprouts, confirming the sustainability of the fiber blends.
The procedure of applying microcapsules to a cotton fabric using screen printing was investigated. The aim was to explore whether the printing of microcapsules might be a universal approach to functionalise textiles. Fragrant (lavender, rosemary and sage essential oil core), antimicrobial (triclosan core) and fl ame-retardant (triphenyl phosphate core) microcapsules with a melamine-formaldehyde wall were used. The optimal concentration of microcapsules in the printing paste to achieve the desired eff ect was investigated. The mechanical properties of the treated fabrics were analysed before and after the washing. The results showed that diff erent functionalities of fabrics can be achieved using this printing technique. The optimal concentration of microcapsules to produce the desired fragrant or antibacterial textile product was 100 g of suspension (32 g of microcapsules) per kg of fabric. The optimal concentration of microcapsules to produce the desired fi re-retardant material was very high and could not be achieved using the pigment system.
This research presents a new procedure for the chemical modifi cation of cotton fabric, which included a ''green'' in situ synthesis of silver particles using an extract of sumac leaves as a reducing agent. To increase the adsorption ability of silver cations, a sol-gel matrix was previously created on cotton fabric using an organic-inorganic precursor sol-gel. The presence of silver particles on the cotton fabric was confi rmed by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The results showed that silver particles were created on the cotton fabric in the presence of the sumac leaf extract, which colored the fi bers in brown. The presence of the sol-gel matrix increased the adsorption of silver cations and therefore the concentration of sliver particles, which resulted in a deeper color yield. Silver particles provided antibacterial protection, with a 99-100% reduction of E. coli in S. aureus bacteria, while the sumac leaf extract provided excellent protection against ultraviolet radiation, with an ultraviolet protective factor equaling 66.54. The coating was also highly durable in terms of its washing fastness.
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