Functionalization of Technical Textiles with Chitosan

Abstract

Textiles are used for many different applications and require a variety of properties. Wet functionalization improve textiles’ properties, such as hydrophilicity or antimicrobial activity. Chitosan is a bio-based polymer widely investigated in the textile industry for this purpose. A weaving comprising a cotton/polyester mix and a pure-polyester weaving was functionalized with different concentrations of chitosan to determine the most robust method for chitosan detection in both cotton- and polyester-containing materials. Additionally, mixtures of chitosan with 3-glycidyloxypropyltriethoxy silane (GLYEO) or 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane (AMEO) were applied in a one-step or two-step procedure on the same fabrics. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and dyeing with Remazol Brilliant Red F3B demonstrated the presence of chitosan and silanes on the textiles’ surfaces. While non-functionalized textiles were not stained, the dependency of the dyeing depths on the chitosan concentrations enabled us to infer the efficacy of the very short processing time and a mild dyeing temperature. The one-step application of AMEO and chitosan resulted in the highest presence of silicon on the textile and the greatest color intensity. The functionalization with GLYEO reduced the water sink-in time of polyester, while chitosan-containing solutions increased the hydrophobicity of the material. Washing experiments demonstrated the increasing hydrophilicity of the cotton/polyester samples, independent of the type of functionalization. These experiments show that chitosan-containing recipes can be used as part of a useful method, and the type of functionalization can be used to adjust the hydrophilic properties of polyester and cotton/polyester textiles. Via this first step, in the future, new combinations of bio-based polymers with inorganic binder systems can be developed, ultimately leading to sustainable antimicrobial materials with modified hydrophilic properties.

Effect of Nanohydroxyapatite on Silk Fibroin–Chitosan Interactions—Molecular Dynamics Study

“…It is derived from chitin, an abundant and renewable resource, and is widely acknowledged for its safety profile [36]. Its versatility and potential or actual applications have been widely demonstrated in numerous fields, including agriculture [37,38], pharmacy and medicine [30,36,37,[39][40][41][42][43], food industry [36,37,44], textile industry [36,37,45,46], biotechnology [47], cosmetics [37,[48][49][50][51], paper production [37,52] and various green and sustainable technologies [53][54][55]. Chitosan emerges as a highly desirable substance, owing to its non-toxicity, cationic nature, biocompatibility, and antibacterial properties, alongside its unique chemical composition [35].…”