UTILISING CHITOSAN TO FACILITATE THE FUNCTIONALIZATION OF METHODOLOGY MATERIALS

Textiles need a range of qualities because they are utilised in so many diverse contexts. Due to their wide range of applications, textiles require a variety of characteristics. Better properties, such as hydrophilicity and antimicrobial activity, are present in textiles with wet functionalization. Because of this, the textile industry has looked at chitosan, a bio-based polymer, in great detail. In an effort to determine the most accurate method for detecting chitosan in textiles composed of cotton and polyester, two different kinds of weavings were functionalized with different amounts of chitosan: one composed wholly of polyester, and the other of cotton and polyester combined. Chitosan solutions containing either 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane (AMEO) or 3-glycidyloxypropyltriethoxy silane (GLYEO) were applied in one or two stages to the same fabrics. By dying the textile surfaces with Remazol Brilliant Red F3B and utilising energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), it was possible to demonstrate the presence of silanes and chitosan on the surfaces. Since the dyeing depths were dependent on the chitosan concentrations, we were able to ascertain the efficacy of a very short processing time and a mild dyeing temperature, even if non-functionalized fabrics were not discoloured. The fabric that had both AMEO and chitosan applied simultaneously had the highest concentration of silicon and the deepest colour intensity. While chitosan-containing solutions boosted the material’s hydrophobicity, GLYEO functionalization shortened the polyester’s water sink-in time. Regardless of the kind of functionalization, washing tests showed that the cotton/polyester samples became more hydrophilic. These studies demonstrate that the type of functionalization can be utilised to modify the hydrophilic characteristics of polyester and cotton/polyester textiles, and that chitosan-containing recipes can be part of a practical approach. Future developments of novel blends of bio-based polymers and inorganic binder systems may be made through this initial stage, which could ultimately result in the creation of sustainable antibacterial materials with altered hydrophilic characteristics.