Green synthesis of easy care and antimicrobial cotton fabrics

Easy care characteristics and antimicrobial properties were imparted to cotton fabrics using aqueous multifinishing formulation consisting of butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) and chitosan having different molecular weights. The latter were prepared by chitosanolysis using pectinase enzyme. Multifinishing treatment was carried out as per the pad-dry-cure method. Parameters affecting the magnitude of finishing viz. concentrations of BTCA and chitosan as well as curing time, temperature and their onset on fabric performance and antimicrobial activity were studied. Thus green synthesized fabrics were found to acquire high crease recovery with acceptable strength losses which can place them in the anticrease and easy care category of cotton finishing. Surface roughness and fabric stiffness imply that the multifinished fabrics retain their comfort. These fabrics display antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and yeast tested even after 10 washes. Mechanism of concurrent crosslinking of/and anchoring to cotton cellulose using BTCA is also reported.