<span style="font-size:15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Mangal;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:HI;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">Hydrophobic, cross-linked and photoactive cotton fabric using nano TiO₂ and BTCA —Statistically optimized by RSM</span>

Abstract

<span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt" lang="EN-GB">This study explores a new method to produce a cotton fabric with hydrophobicity, cross-linking, and photoactivity properties. Cotton fabric has been treated with nano titanium dioxide as a photo-catalyst and 1,2,3,4 butane tetra carboxylic acid as a friendly cross-linking agent in an ultrasonic<span dir="RTL" style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-font-size: 9.0pt;font-family:Mangal;mso-ascii-font-family:" times="" new="" roman";mso-hansi-font-family:="" "times="" roman""="" lang="EN-GB"> <span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt" lang="EN-GB">bath. The photoactivity is tested by discoloration of the stained fabric with Direct Sky Blue 5B under UV-C (254 nm) irradiation. The treated fabric indicates a reasonable hydrophobicity along with photoactivity and cross-linking. The results indicate that the color variation under UV irradiation is higher for the cotton fabric treated with TiO₂. However, the photoactivity of the treated fabric decreases after repeated laundering. Moreover, the creasing properties of the nano TiO₂ treated cotton fabrics decrease considerably. The SEM images show a TiO₂ layer on the cotton fibres. The experimental data processing has been carried out by response surface methodology based on central composite design introducing three optimized models.

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