Antibacterial and waterproof breathable waterborne polyurethane functionalised by graphene to develop UV and NIR-protective cotton fabric

Multifunctional coated fabrics are in great demand for making technical textiles. This work attempts the coating of cotton fabric using graphene-functionalised waterborne polyurethane to impart antibacterial activity, breathability, near-infrared (NIR) shielding and UV protection. The prepared coated fabrics were evaluated for textile properties and functional properties. The coated samples displayed excellent UV protection (UPF>50), NIR resistance of up to 90% of the incident, antibacterial properties above 99% against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, water barrier property of 100+ cm of water pressure and water vapour transmission rate up to 960.62 g/24hr.m2 demonstrating a selectively hydrophilic continuous film coating. The prepared graphene-functionalised PU formulation, based on the results, can be claimed as a multifunctional coating for protective textiles.