New approach to promote the functional properties and comfortability of cellulose containing fabrics.

Abstract

Cotton is the most important natural textile fiber in the world used to produce apparel, home furnishings, and industrial products. Moreover, cotton is breathable, moisture and heat conductor i.e. draws moisture and heat away from the body, providing coolness at wearing and hence consumers’ comfort. Cotton fibers are soft, hypoallergenic i.e. do not irritate sensitive skin or cause allergies, and anti-static, providing the preference of these fibers for underwear and garments that are close to the skin, bandages and gauzes. In contrast, cotton has some disadvantages such as the less of tensile strength and elongation, crease and abrasion resistance and durability. On the other hand, polyesters are ester of substituted aromatic carboxylic acids such as terephthalic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid. Polyester fibers are hydrophobic and water non-absorbents. The lack of water absorbency limits the comfort of polyester fabrics. Polyester possesses good strength and exhibits moderate to poor elongation. It has excellent wrinkle resistance and recovery from wrinkling and bending deformation. It has also excellent resistance to most household chemicals and good antimicrobial properties. Due to its hydrophobicity and high crystallinity, polyester is difficult to dye, and special dyes and dyeing techniques must be used. Accordingly, cotton fibers are blended with polyester to combine the benefits of the former with advantages of the later. The most customary blends are 50/50 % and 65/35% of polyester/cotton fibers which are used in a wide range of textile products. Textile composed of these blends has features of good shape retention and exceptionally good care and wear behavior. Finishing is the final step in the fabric manufacturing process, the last chance to provide the properties that customers will value. Moreover, in the past few decades, there is an increasing in the awareness towards the environmental protection, health, and comfortability of peoples. Consequently, the textile manufacturers extend their scope for a large spectrum of end users, from usual apparel fabrics and hosiery to functional products. Textile finishing can be categorized into three distinctly different areas, mechanical, biotechnological and chemical finishes. Textile chemical finishing is utilized in conversion of a textile material into a technical one having specified functional properties by changing the chemical composition of the fabric. This finishing is achieved by using of chemicals of various compositions and so the fabrics can maintain new characteristics that are unattainable to be achieved via mechanical finishing. A lot of functional properties can be imparted to fabrics using chemical finishing and it is also possible to promote multifunctional fabrics. The main application techniques of this finishes are padding, exhaustion, coating, spraying and foam application. In most of cases, the chemical finish is applied as a solution or a dispersion of the active compounds in water. The most functional properties that can be accomplished using chemical finishes are easy-care finishing, water and oil repellent finishing, hydrophillic finishing, antimicrobial finishing, fragrant finishing, flame retardant finishing, ultraviolet protective finishing, self-cleaning and soft-finishing.