A Comparative Study to Clarify the Effect of Different Nanoparticles on Improving the Functional Properties of Blended Cotton Fabrics

Nanoparticles of metal and metal oxide received considerable attention as functional enhancers in the textile industry to provide unique multifunctional properties. The objective of this study is to compare the use of silver, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide as coating agents for blended fabrics to improve the functional properties of these tissues. The silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles may be prepared with silver nitrate and zinc acetate, respectively. The scanning and transmitting electron microscopes were used to verify the size and form of the prepared nanoparticles. A comparison was made to study the effect of coating blended fabrics that have a 1/1 uniform weave composition, namely: Blended cotton (33% cotton, 67% polyester). This study showed good results in terms of high inhibition coefficient against harmful UV rays. The prepared and ready-to-use nanomaterials were used to test the results, which were carried out by standard textile test specifications. These tests involve tensile strength and elongation during cutting, air permeability test, UV resistance test, gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial resistance test, stain and dirt resistance test, and angle of contact measurement. This work concluded that the nanoparticles used have shown great potential to be used as a coating for medical and athletic tissues.