A Novel Approach to Incorporation of Chitosan in Cotton for Improving Fabric Performance

Abstract

Incorporation of chitosan in the molecular structure of a cotton surface was effected by two approaches. The first approach involved oxidation of cotton fabric with sodium periodate (NaIO₄) and treatment of the fabric with chitosan in the subsequent step. The second approach formed the basis for devising a single-step process in which the fabric was treated in an aqueous solution containing both oxidants and chitosan. Appropriate conditions were established for a two-step process. The results of one step process were used to devise a novel one-step process in which cotton fabric containing chitosan could be achieved. This fabric exhibited significantly improved performances when compared with the untreated and processed fabric. It is assumed that NaIO₄ oxidants and chitosan enhance the interaction of chitosan with cotton by modifying the molecular structure of both.

Citation

Abd el-moneim Ramadan, M., Samy, S., Abdelhady, M. and Ali Hebeish, A. (2013), "A Novel Approach to Incorporation of Chitosan in Cotton for Improving Fabric Performance", Research Journal of Textile and Apparel, Vol. 17 No. 4, pp. 64-71. https://doi.org/10.1108/RJTA-17-04-2013-B008