Preparation and Properties of Antimite Microcapsule-Loaded Submicron Fiber/Cotton Fiber Composite Yarn

Home textiles provide suitable living conditions for dust mites, which heavily endanger home environmental hygiene and human health. Current antimite home textiles are deficient in comfort, raw-material availability, and durability. To overcome these shortcomings, we synthesized antimite microcapsules via an ionic cross-linking method, with benzyl benzoate encapsulated inside calcium alginate (i.e., primary encapsulation). The microcapsules were further encapsulated into electrospun submicron fibers, which were then embedded into cotton web in the carding process for spinning yarns (i.e., secondary encapsulation). The percentage of benzyl benzoate successfully encapsulated within the microcapsules was calculated to be 49.74%. The as-prepared yarn shows an excellent antimite efficiency (∼82.31%) with an enhanced wicking capability and unaffected mechanical property. Moreover, the double encapsulation of microcapsules enhances the sustained release of benzyl benzoate and significantly improves mite-repellency rates, ranging from 82.11% to 97.13%. This study provides a paradigm to fabricate the antimite yarn suitable for home-textile application, which has a high requirement for suitability.