The Mechanical and Comfort Properties of Sustainable Blended Fabrics of Bamboo With Cotton and Regenerated Fibers

The worldwide growing need of cotton but its lower production has boosted the production of regenerated cellulosic fibers. This work compares the thermal comfort and mechanical properties of bamboo rayon fiber blends with cotton and other regenerated fibers. So, bamboo rayon fibers were blended with cotton, tencel lyocell, modal rayon, and viscose rayon. One-hundred-percent pure fabrics of bamboo rayon, cotton, tencel lyocell, modal rayon, and viscose rayon were made. Also, 50:50 blends of bamboo rayon with cotton, tencel lyocell, modal rayon, and viscose rayon were prepared. Plain-woven fabrics were made by using yarns of 20 tex. The thermal comfort and mechanical properties were analyzed. It is found that 100% tencel lyocell fabrics give higher mechanical and comfort properties. Similarly, bamboo rayon:tencel lyocell (50:50)–blended fabric gives better thermal comfort and mechanical properties than bamboo rayon:cotton–, bamboo rayon:modal rayon–, and bamboo rayon:viscose rayon–blended fabrics.

Bamboo Rayon-ZnO Nanoparticles Composite as Multifunctional Textile Materials

In the current study, an acrylic acid grafted bamboo rayon fabric was utilized as a substrate to immobilize ZnO nanoparticles. The bamboo rayon-ZnO nanoparticles composite was prepared by the treatment of swollen grafted fabric with ZnCl2 followed by conversion of Zn2+ ions into ZnO nanoparticles. The modified product was characterized and then evaluated for antibacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria as well as durability of their antibacterial activity after washing. The product showed antibacterial activity against both types of bacteria which was found to be durable till 40 washes. The modified material also showed improved UV protection. The product can be claimed as semidurable multifunctional textile material.

Functional Modification of Bamboo Rayon (Cellulose) Fabric to Render it Antibacterial and UV Protective

In the current study, bamboo rayon fabrics grafted with mixture of acrylic acid and acrylamide was utilized as a backbone to immobilize ZnO nanoprticles. The swollen grafted fabric was treated with ZnCl2 followed by conversion of Zn2+ ions into ZnO nanoparticles. The modified product was characterized using FTIR, TGA and SEM and then evaluated for antibacterial activity against gram positive and gram negative bacteria as well as durability of their antibacterial activity after washing. The product showed antibacterial activity against both types of bacterias which was found to be durable till 40 washes. The modified material also showed improved UV protection because of presence of ZnO nanopartcles. The product can be claimed as suitable sustainable candidate for textile products in health and well being of the users.