Nano-Coating on Different Patterned and Unpatterned Light-Weight and Delicate Curtain and Lacy Fabrics; Multifunctional Features and Comparing ICP-OES and UV-vis Spectroscopy to Determine Washing Fastness

Research Article

Adv Res Text Eng. 2018; 3(1): 1020.

Nano-Coating on Different Patterned and Unpatterned Light-Weight and Delicate Curtain and Lacy Fabrics; Multifunctional Features and Comparing ICP-OES and UV-vis Spectroscopy to Determine Washing Fastness

Dastjerdi Roya*, Zavareh HH, Mashroteh H and Ardakani AK

Textile Engineering Department, Yazd University, Iran

*Corresponding author: Dastjerdi R, Textile Engineering Department, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran; E-mail: [email protected]

Received: December 28, 2017; Accepted: January 25, 2018; Published: February 05, 2018

Abstract

Regarding the wide range of application of different patterned and unpatterned light-weight and delicate fabrics for designing curtain, it is worthwhile to evaluate novel technologies for promotion their practical properties without impact on their appearance. This paper aims at nano-finishing of curtain and lacy fabrics and inspecting the resulting properties. To this end, treatment was done using a commercially available colloidal solution of titanium dioxide and crosslinkable polysiloxane resin (XPs) as an excellent mass production promising technique. Then, different properties such as surface friction, hydrophobicity, water drop contact angle, washing fastness, stain repellency, air permeability, abrasion resistance, bending length, wrinkle recovery angle and resistance to sunlight degradation were studied. Based on the final results, a desirable superhydrophobicity on samples was achieved by a significant droplet absorption time up to 6 hours and a proper droplet contact angle of 150°. A good stainrepellency was confirmed after standard drops of methylene blue slipped on the samples with no trace left behind. Based on the results, the treatment serves as a protective layer against sunlight. Nano-coating associated with XPs resin has no statistically significant effect on air permeability, abrasion resistance and bending length. However, it improved wrinkle recovery angle and balanced surface friction. XPs coating was able to save the nanoparticles on the surface in a washing process after 20 cycles of laundering. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and ultraviolet/ visible spectroscopy were used as two analytical techniques to determine nanoparticles concentrations leached out in washing effluents. The results of these two techniques in evaluating washing fastness were compared to each other.

Keywords: Lace; Curtain; Nano-functionalization; Light fabrics; Hydrophobicity; ICP-OES-based washing fastness; contact angle

Introduction

Curtain and lace, which are light-weight, and delicate fabrics, are widely used for decorative purposes. Lace has also other applications such as pavilions and mosquito nets and is placed in front of windows as a first curtain layer to design or protect the main curtain against sunlight. Due to maintenance problems such as washing and cleaning, modifying the surface of fabrics by applying some useful features such as stain-repellency, hydrophobicity and sunlight resistance seems to be of benefit. However, treatment of delicate fabrics is particularly more sensitive than that of other types of fabrics. Moreover, this process may face some difficulties due to the especial patterns on the fabrics which should be also investigated. Therefore, this study aims at durable treatment on these fine and sensitive kinds of fabrics using nanomaterials and XPs resin, as the most industrially-compatible and the best textiles modification method.

In fact, application of nanomaterials has largely increased due to their unique characteristics [1-10]. This has encouraged researchers to extensively study this topic in recent publications. Using nanostructures for modification of textiles [11-17] has caused great promotions in many applications. Among nanomaterials, titanium dioxide is used extensively due to its remarkable features [18-22]. However, applying these materials in the finishing process is accompanying with some problems.

Generally, nanoparticle stability on textiles is poor. Several methods have been proposed to solve this problem; for example, pretreatment via physical or chemical phenomena like Ultraviolet (UV), plasma [23-25], laser [26] or oxidants [27] to create some radical or functional groups on the surface. Incorporation of nanoparticles into a polymer melt in the extruder and applying nanocomposite for trapping nanoparticle in a polymeric matrix is another technique used in some research works [28, 29].

Another way considered more effective is utilizing resin for consolidation of nanomaterials on textiles, such as using acrylic binder [30] or polyurethane binder [31]. However, most resins are not suitable because applying them on the surface decreases clothing comfort, air permeability, draping, abrasion resistance, and softness. It also poses some other problems. For instance, it requires curing, demands an acidic condition damaging the substrates during the curing process, and needs neutralization of pH after the treatment [32].

Consequently, if an industrially adaptable process can be offered, it is worth to be investigated for different types of fabrics. The results will provide a vital perspective to researchers and specially industries to any future plan on the mass production. According to our search, there is no any report on nano-coating of the patterned and unpatterned light-weight and delicate curtain and lacy fabrics and its effect on different properties of treated fabrics in the literature.

This article aimed at finishing light-weight and delicate fabrics with two issues in focus; lace and curtain fabrics. To cover different types of fabric structures, three curtain samples and two nonpatterned lacy samples were chosen and treated by nano TiO2 and XPs resin, respectively. Then, their physical and mechanical properties were evaluated, reported and discussed.

Experimental Section

Materials and methods

Patterned and unpatterned curtain and lacy fabrics: Several Polyester fabrics (PET) with an area weight less than 100 g/m2 were used in this study. They were selected due to presence of these useful fabrics in new-fashioned textiles industries as well as home textiles usages, etc. The details about the samples are given in (Table 1).