Effect of Date Seeds Extraction Treatment on Different Woven Structures for Surgical Cotton Caps

Medical and surgical caps are specialized head coverings worn by healthcare professionals during surgical procedures or other medical activities. During this study, six cotton samples were produced using three weave structures (plain 1/1, twill 3/3, satin 6), and two different spinning systems were used at warp and weft directions with the same yarn counts. All samples were treated with crosslinking agent chitosan and date palm seed extraction, as they possess good antibacterial activity. Six physical and mechanical properties were conducted for all samples before and after treatment. The treated cotton materials were described by scanning electron microscope (SEM). According to the analysis of Two-way ANOVA for samples before treatment, all variables recorded a significant effect on the structures and spinning system except tear strength at warp direction for structures and tear strength at weft direction for the spinning system. For the samples after treatments, the crease recovery on the weft direction, a significant difference was achieved for weave structures. The spray test results showed an improvement in water repellence after the date seed treatment. Before the treatment, the sample absorbed water fully, indicating hydrophilic properties. However, after the treatment, the sample became hydrophobic. Additionally, there was an improvement in crease recovery results after the date seed treatment compared to before the treatment. On the other hand, from the evaluation of the radar chart, it was observed for samples before treatment that sample TR (Twill structure using ring spinning system) and for samples after treatment sample PC (plain 1/1 using the compact spinning system) achieved the best results. Cotton fabric treated with Ch+BTCA/CA+DSE fabrics have higher antimicrobial activity against gram-positive, gram-negative bacteria and the Candida albicans fungi than Ch+BTCA/CA fabrics.