The sol-gel technology application of cotton textile processing

Abstract

In this research, pure cotton textile was modified by the sol-gel technology with low thermal post-treatment temperatures: drying at 90 °C for 10 min after curing at 120, 140 and 160 °C for 2 min. The impact of the cotton textile coating by sol-gel technology, different curing temperatures and multiple washing cycles to the adhesion of the coating, textile air permeability and abrasion resistance were studied. The morphology changes of the cotton textile surface before and after coating, and after multiple washing cycles were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. The sol-gel treatment can impart antibacterial properties to the textile against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis, by the reduction of the bacteria adhesion with the cotton textile. All test results evince about a very good coating containing Zn and Si adhesion with cotton textile fibres..

Keywords:

• cotton
• sol-gel
• air permeability
• micro-organisms adhesion
• abrasion resistance

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Riga Technical University through the Scientific Research Project Competition for Young Researchers [grant number ZP-2014/27].