Antimicrobial cotton textiles by finishing with extracts of an Ethiopian plant (Solanum incanum) fruit

The use of natural fruits that are non-toxic, non-allergic and eco-friendly on textile as antimicrobial has become a matter of significant importance, may be, as a result of increased environmental awareness and because they prevent some hazardous synthetic antimicrobial. Antimicrobial finishing treatment on cotton textile fabric was carried out using extracts from natural plant Solanum Incanum fruit. The active substance was extracted from fruit by using Soxhlet apparatus and applied on the fabric in different concentrations viz. 15, 20, 25 and 30g/l. The antimicrobial activity of the treated fabric was assessed by Disc Diffusion (SN 195 920) method. High zone of inhibition obtained from 30g/l concentration. The durability of the finish product after five wash for zone of inhibition of fabric was also studied and found to be good. The aim of the present work is imparting antimicrobial finish on cotton by using natural fruit extract to fabric and to reduce the effect of microorganism on human body and a fabric.Keywords: Antimicrobial, Solanum Incanum, Disc Diffusion, zone of inhibition, durability of finis

Dimensional stability of cotton, tencel and tencel/cotton blend plain weft knitted fabrics

Pure cotton, 33/67 tencel/cotton, 67/33 tencel/cotton, and pure tencel yarns of 30 Ne count have been produced in the cotton spinning system and then used for knitting plain weft structure with three ranges of tightness factor to study their dimensional stability. Then knitted fabrics are subjected to dry, wet and tumble dry relaxations. Courses per inch(cpi), wales per inch(wpi), fabric thickness and areal density are measured at the end of each relaxation. Constants k1, k2, k3, k4 values for stitch density, cpi, wpi and loop shape factors are calculated using measured stitch length. Test results are subject to multilevel factorial analysis to determine factor contribution to the dimensional changes. It is found that the fibre contribution to the shrinkage is very less as compared to the contribution made by stitch length and relaxation treatments. Similarly, the quantum of length and width shrinkage is determined primarily by the stitch length (tightness factor). This is also confirmed by the calculation and comparison of loop shape factor. Thickness of the fabric is influenced significantly by relaxation treatment and fibre composition. Areal density is primarily determined by relaxation treatment and stitch length rather than by fibre composition. Hence, it is concluded that tencel and cotton are similar in dimensional characteristics

Properties of cotton, tencel and cotton/tencel blended ring- spun yarns

Yarn characteristics of pure cotton, 67:33 cotton/tencel blend, 33:67 cotton/tencel blend and pure tencel have been studied. Blending is done at draw frame. Machinery parameters are kept constant for studying the effect of fibre parameters on yarn characteristics. It is observed that the addition of tencel increases single yarn strength significantly at the higher tencel composition. Presence of tencel improves the elongation property. Packing fraction of tencel and tencel blended yarn is found to be more than that of cotton. Swelling diameter of pure cotton yarn is found to be lower than those of pure tencel and tencel/cotton blend yarns. Hairiness (H) decreases with the addition of tencel in the blend. It is also observed that the coefficient of friction (yarn- to- metal) of blend yarn reduces with the addition of tencel fibre in the blend

Improving light fastness of reactive dyed cotton fabric with antioxidant and UV absorbers

161-164<span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt" lang="EN-GB">Cotton fabrics have been dyed with C. I. Reactive Yellow 84, C. I. Reactive Red 22 and C. I. Reactive Blue 19 dyes and the effect of some commonly used antioxidants and UV absorbers is studied in order to improve light fastness property. The <span style="font-size:9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun;mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN" lang="EN-GB">antioxidants such as gallic acid, vitamin C and cafeic acid, and the UV absorbers such as 2-hydroxybenzophenone and phenyl salicylate have been applied on reactive dyed cotton fabric by exhaust method. Treated samples are then tested for fastness properties as per international standards. The results show no change in colour depth during after treatment. In all the cases, the use of UV absorbers or antioxidants improves the light fastness of dyed fabrics. The most effective light fastness improvement is found by the application of vitamin C. </span

Observations on the estimation of amino groups in silk using ninhydrin reaction

129-134<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:" calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:="" "times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-theme-font:="" minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;="" mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="">The hypothesis that the reaction between the ninhydrin and the amino groups of protein is quantitative, 2 mol of ninhydrin quantitatively react with 1 mol of the amino acid, and a certain minimum concentration of ninhydrin is required for a given weight of protein if the reaction were to complete has been confirmed.</span

Fixation of reactive prints on silk by sodium silicate pad-batch technique-Reaction mechanism

197-201<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:" calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:="" "times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-theme-font:="" minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;="" mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="">An attempt has been. made to analyze the reaction mechanism of Remazol Golden Yellow G under sodium silicate pad-batch conditions. The involvement of amino and tyrosine hydroxyl groups has been investigated after suitably modifying the silk and then estimating the amount of dye covalently bound with the modified silk fabric. It has been observed that both amino and tyrosine hydroxyl groups are involved in the reaction with the dye under sodium silicate pad-batch conditions.</span

Polyfunctional finishes on cotton textiles

364-371<span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";="" mso-ansi-language:en-gb;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:hi"="" lang="EN-GB">The present study is aimed at imparting polyfunctional finishes on 100% cotton fabrics using polycarboxylic acids (PCAs) that are capable of crosslinking with cellulose. Polycarboxylic acids, such as maleic acid, itaconic acid, citric acid and tartaric acid, have been selected and applied in single and in combinations on 100% cotton fabrics using pad- dry- cure process. PCAs treated samples are then tested for functional properties as per international standards. The crease recovery behaviour of these samples has been found to improve almost to the same extent and in some cases more than that of resin treated control sample. However, the strength loss is found to be lower for polycarboxylic acids treated samples. Flexural rigidity is also recorded very low. Soil release properties are improved by this treatment to attain the maximum grade of 5 from grade 3 for untreated sample. Reduction in dimensional changes is found negligible. Formation of ester crosslinks between cellulose and polycarboxylic acids has been confirmed through FTIR spectroscopic studies. It is found that the PCAs selected for the study could impart multiple functional properties on cotton. When applied in single, maleic acid and itaconic acid provide better results than the other two PCAs, whereas in combination, citric acid with other PCAs provides synergic effect in imparting functional properties. </span

Efficacy of solvent, alkali and pectinase on removal of non-cellulosics from cotton fibres

438-442The physical properties of different varieties of cotton fibres of various origins have been studied after extraction using solvents and alkali scouring with reference to enzyme scouring process. Enzyme scoured samples show comparable results with that of solvent extracted and alkali scoured samples in terms of fibre fineness, weight loss, moisture regain, strength and elongation. The scouring processes improve the properties of the fibres in the order: solvent extraction < enzyme scouring < ammonium oxalate extraction < alkali scouring

Properties of cotton, tencel and cotton/tencel blended ring- spun yarns

322-325Yarn characteristics of pure cotton, 67:33 cotton/tencel blend, 33:67 cotton/tencel blend and pure tencel have been studied. Blending is done at draw frame. Machinery parameters are kept constant for studying the effect of fibre parameters on yarn characteristics. It is observed that the addition of tencel increases single yarn strength significantly at the higher tencel composition. Presence of tencel improves the elongation property. Packing fraction of tencel and tencel blended yarn is found to be more than that of cotton. Swelling diameter of pure cotton yarn is found to be lower than those of pure tencel and tencel/cotton blend yarns. Hairiness (H) decreases with the addition of tencel in the blend. It is also observed that the coefficient of friction (yarn- to- metal) of blend yarn reduces with the addition of tencel fibre in the blend. </span