Multifunctional finishing of cotton using zinc oxide and silicon dioxide nanoparticles along with DMDHEU

Purpose This study aims at evaluating the properties of cotton fabric after nanofinishing using zinc oxide and silicon dioxide nanoparticles along with dimethylol dihydroxyethylene urea (DMDHEU). Design/methodology/approach DMDHEU recipes was optimized by Box-Behnken Design before using it with nanoparticles. These nanoparticles were synthesized by sol gel technique and applied to the fabric by pad-dry-cure method. The treated samples were evaluated for functional properties such as self-cleaning, antibacterial and ultraviolet (UV) protection properties. Findings Due to the use of DMDHEU, crease recovery property was obtained. The results showed good antibacterial property against S-aureus (gram positive) bacteria and E-coli (gram negative). UV protection property of combined nano-finished samples showed good results, as they showed very low transmission of UV-irradiation when exposed to UV-rays compared to single nanoparticle finished samples. Self-cleaning property of finished cotton was found to be good even after five washing cycles. Originality/value In this study, nanofinishing of cotton fabric with zinc oxide and silicon dioxide nanoparticles along with DMDHEU was studied to achieve promising functional properties with long durability of nanofinishing not studied earlier.