Fragrant finishing of cotton with microcapsules: comparison between printing and impregnation

Microencapsulated fragrance was used to produce a fragrant textile product. Melamine–formaldehyde polymer wall microcapsules with a lavender, rosemary and sage essential oil core were applied to a cotton fabric in two ways, i.e. byscreen printing and impregnation. The samples were dried and cured, and then the differences between them were analysed. The condition and distribution of applied microcapsules were observed by scanning electron microscopy, fragrance evaluation was performed on printed and impregnated samples after they had been washed several times, and their handle properties were investigated. Moreover, the influence of artificial light on the wall of microcapsules was examined, and possible antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was evaluated. The change in colour of all samples as a consequence of the addition of microcapsules to the paste or bath was checked. The results show that both application techniques are appropriate for the effective fragrant but on the other hand ineffective antibacterial finishing of cotton fabrics. Artificial light did not affect the microcapsules. There is an impact on colour only when the capsules are printed to fabric. Both of the techniques used, printing and impregnation, have advantages as well as drawbacks.