Utilization of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles to improve functionality and mechanical performances of cotton fabric

This study aims to produce high-quality functional cotton fabric through the deposition of nano TiO₂. Here nanoparticles are deposited by the pad-dry-cure method with different recipes formulated using an acrylic binder and wax emulsifier together with TiO₂ nanoparticles to observe the optimal effect on the final quality. The treated fabric is characterized by SEM, EDS, XRD, and FTIR. To analyze the results, the antimicrobial properties, UV protection, and crease resistance are measured as functional properties. Furthermore, tensile and tearing strength, frictional resistance, bending length, abrasion resistance, and pilling are determined as mechanical properties. The results confirm that the binder significantly affects on nano deposition and improves the mentioned functional characteristics. However, the deposition of nano TiO₂ has deteriorated cotton's mechanical properties, and that degradation is intensified by the use of binder. This degradation problem is overcome by using the emulsifier as an auxiliary since the recipe having an emulsifier improves all the mechanical qualities of nano-treated cotton fabric. Particularly, the sample containing a binder and an emulsifier (Nano TiO₂-3) ensures up to 97 % UV-ray blockage, 93 % antibacterial activity, and 9 % increase in tensile strength.