Al₂O₃ Nanoparticles and Mint Oil Composites for Textile Treatment Enhancement

In this work, blended fabrics, such as polyester/wool and polyester/ cotton, were treated with aluminum oxide nanoparticles (Al2O3 NPs), and their composite with natural mint oil (Al2O3 NPs/ MO) by immersion, pressure, and heat setting techniques under specific time and temperature conditions. The antibacterial and the physical qualities, such as air permeability, antistatic properties, abrasion resistance, tensile strength, strain, stiffness, Cressy recovery, and seam puckering test of treated and untreated fabrics were investigated. The size, shape, and size distribution of Al2O3 NPs and Al2O3 NPs/ MO were assessed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive (EDX) analysis were used to describe the morphological alterations of the untreated and treated fabrics. The Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) of both untreated and treated textiles was investigated to study chemical alterations. The results of this study showed a significant improvement in the microbial resistance of treated fabrics compared to untreated fabrics. Air permeability noticeably decreased for treated fabrics, whereas antistatic, abrasion resistance, tensile strength, elongation, and crease recovery exhibited slight decreases; on the other hand, stiffness and seam puckering properties enhanced relative to the untreated ones. So, it is recommended to use treated fabrics for bags, sports clothes, and upholstery.