Aqueous Sol-Gel Nano-coating of Titanium Dioxide on Cotton and Silk Fabrics for Self-Cleaning and UV Protection Finish

Multifunctional and durable nano-coating of titanium dioxide (TiO2) on cotton and silk fabric surface has been achieved via sol-gel method in aqueous medium at room temperature. The nanosol is coated on fabric surface by pad-dry-cure method using 1% acrylic binder to achieve durable coating. The coated fabrics are characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD), optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The performance of the coated fabrics against self-cleaning efficiency and UV protection is evaluated. The self-cleaning efficiency is assessed against the artificial stain of Schezwan chutney, coffee, Coca-Cola, and turmeric. Maximum stain removal efficiency is achieved with coffee stain with 81.25% and 96.63% for cotton and silk fabrics, respectively, after exposure to 20 h of sunlight. However, tensile strength and elongation of the coated fabrics decrease after the exposure to sunlight. The average size of the TiO2 particles formulated in the nanosol is found to be about 5 nm which is sufficient for scattering the UV radiation from the textile surface. The self-cleaning effect and UPF of nanosol-treated silk fabric are found to be better than that of cotton fabric. UPF of treated cotton and silk fabric is found to be 53.87 and 61.79, respectively.