Effect of nano TiO(2) on self-cleaning property of cross-linking cotton fabric with succinic acid under UV irradiation.

Optimization of curing cotton textiles through self-cleaning property constructs the main goal of the present study. Cotton fabrics with 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 on weight of bath percent were cured by nano titanium dioxide (P25 Degussa) with cross-link and non cross-link methods. In this study, succinic acid was used as a cross-link agent to attach TiO(2) to the cotton. The amount of loaded titania particles to cotton fabrics and the thermal behavior of cured samples were studied by the burning method and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. Self-cleaning degree of cured samples, stained with natural and synthesized dyes under irradiation of 20 and 400 W UV lamps was investigated by a reflectance spectrophotometer. The structure and morphology of treated cotton fabrics were investigated using scanning electron microscopy and crystallinity of titania coatings by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. The tearing strengths of titania-coated cotton fabrics before and after light irradiation were measured. Results showed that the stability of nano TiO(2) coating and self-cleaning degree of treated samples with cross-link method were much higher than those of non cross-link method, and cotton cellulosic chains were not decomposed by the photocatalytic activity of titania.