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Biopolymer Textile Structure of Chitosan with Polyester
Tea Kaurin1, Tanja Pušić1, Mirjana Čurlin2
1University of Zagreb, Faculty of Textile Technology, Prilaz Baruna Filipovića 28a, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
Polymers
|August 12, 2022
Summary
This study explored functionalizing polyester fabric with chitosan for eco-friendly effects. Alkaline hydrolysis pretreatment enhances chitosan compatibility, making surfactants unnecessary for this biopolymer fabric functionalization.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Textile Engineering
Background:
- Polyester fabrics lack inherent antimicrobial or biodegradable properties.
- Biopolymer chitosan offers multifunctional and eco-friendly characteristics.
- Incompatibility between synthetic polyester and natural chitosan necessitates pretreatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functionalization of polyester fabric with chitosan.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of alkaline hydrolysis as a pretreatment for enhancing chitosan compatibility.
- To determine the role of surfactants in the pretreatment process.
Main Methods:
- Alkaline hydrolysis of polyester fabric using sodium hydroxide.
- Chitosan treatment of untreated and hydrolyzed fabrics.
- Analysis of mechanical and physico-chemical properties.
- Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) for data interpretation.
Main Results:
- Alkaline hydrolysis significantly improved polyester fabric compatibility with chitosan.
- Hierarchical cluster analysis revealed distinct groupings based on treatment.
- Most characterization methods indicated superior chitosan functionalization after alkaline hydrolysis.
- Surfactants did not provide additional benefits during alkaline hydrolysis pretreatment.
Conclusions:
- Alkaline hydrolysis is an effective pretreatment for chitosan functionalization of polyester fabrics.
- The addition of surfactants is not required when using alkaline hydrolysis for this purpose.
- This approach offers a pathway for developing eco-friendlier functional textiles.
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