Fabrication of a Composite Material from Lyocell Fabrics Treated with Alumina/Titania Hybrid Materials

Abstract

A series of novel alumina/titania hybrid materials was synthesized from aluminum isopropoxide and titanium-n-butoxide using a sol-gel process. Grey Lyocell fabrics were dyed, and the alumina/titania hybrid materials were combined with the dyed Lyocell fabrics through a dipping-dry-thermosol process. The structures of the alumina/titania hybrid materials were analyzed using FTIR, ²⁷Al-NMR, and XRD and the bonding structures of the processed Lyocell fabrics were evaluated using SEM, EDS, and TGA analysis. The sheet evenness of the coated layer on the Lyocell fabrics was confirmed by SEM images, and the interaction of the hybrid materials with the Lyocell fabrics was verified. Moreover, weathering, electric conductivity, and air permeability analyses of the processed fabrics were conducted. Our data show that electric conductivity of the alumina/titania hybrid materials combined with Lyocell processed fabrics improved with increased concentration of aluminum isopropoxide in the reaction mixture. After modification with alumina/titania hybrid materials, the processed fabrics all had a light fastness level of approximately grade 4.

Keywords:

• alumina
• conductivity
• Lyocell fabrics
• sol-gel
• titania
• weathering

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the National Science Council of Taiwan for financial support.