Analysis of biopolymer application on cotton fabrics by different methods

Increasing environmental awareness and the high demand for alternatives to non-renewable petroleum resources have led to extensive research focused on the concept of biomass-based bio-renewable materials. As well as constantly increasing environmental pollution, toxicological effects of industrial waste and the reflection of decreasing natural resources, environmental friendly production methods and the usage of biopolymers obtained from sustainable resources became an important issue in textile industry. Chitosan has several application areas in textile industry because of its biodegradability, biocompatibility and non-toxicological effects on living organisms. With the introduction of nanotechnology into our lives, chitosan nano particles were obtained in order to take the advantages of macro-sized chitosan more effectively. Therefore, better results could be obtained by using less amount of chitosan. Although there are several methods to reduce the size of chitosan, ionic gelation is the most commonly used method since it is easy to apply and it does not require the use of toxic chemicals In this study, the different forms of chitosan were applied onto the cotton fabrics by environmental friendly methods such as plasma and sol gel technology as an alternative to conventional finishing methods. The treated fabrics were compared in terms of their antibacterial activity, SEM, XPS and surface friction properties.