Microencapsulation for Functional Textile Coatings with Emphasis on Biodegradability—A Systematic Review

Abstract

The review provides an overview of research findings on microencapsulation for functional textile coatings. Methods for the preparation of microcapsules in textiles include in situ and interfacial polymerization, simple and complex coacervation, molecular inclusion and solvent evaporation from emulsions. Binders play a crucial role in coating formulations. Acrylic and polyurethane binders are commonly used in textile finishing, while organic acids and catalysts can be used for chemical grafting as crosslinkers between microcapsules and cotton fibres. Most of the conventional coating processes can be used for microcapsule-containing coatings, provided that the properties of the microcapsules are appropriate. There are standardised test methods available to evaluate the characteristics and washfastness of coated textiles. Among the functional textiles, the field of environmentally friendly biodegradable textiles with microcapsules is still at an early stage of development. So far, some physicochemical and physical microencapsulation methods using natural polymers or biodegradable synthetic polymers have been applied to produce environmentally friendly antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory or fragranced textiles. Standardised test methods for evaluating the biodegradability of textile materials are available. The stability of biodegradable microcapsules and the durability of coatings during the use and care of textiles still present several challenges that offer many opportunities for further research.

Microencapsulation and its Application in Textile Wet Processing: A Review

“…This is a phenomenon that occurs in colloid systems. [52] i) Simple coacervation: A desolvation agent is used to separate the phases in simple coacervation.…”

Methods for the Synthesis of Phase Change Material Microcapsules with Enhanced Thermophysical Properties—A State-of-the-Art Review

“…It commenced with the carbonless copy papers [23], whereby the top of the carbonless sheet is coated with dye or ink microcapsules and the bottom layer sheet is covered with a reactive clay. Over the years, the encapsulation technology has progressed and is now being applied in other fields such as the pharmaceutical [24], food [25], cosmetic [26], and textile industries [27], as well as the encapsulation of PCMs for TES applications [28].…”

The Influence of Core - Shell Ratio on Characteristics of Microcapsules Containing Cinnamon Essential Oil Applied to Aromatherapeutic Textiles

“…Beside the coacervation and polymerization techniques, the solvent evaporation method is used widely to elaborate microcapsules for many textile applications such as cosmetic and fragrant textile, medical textile, thermoregulating textile, antimicrobial and antifungal textile… [12]. Simple process and equipment as well as no use of toxic monomers are the main advantages of solvent evaporation method in comparison to coacervation and polymerization techniques.…”