In the present study, a substantive derivative of N, N-diethyl- 3-methylbenzamide (DEET), i.e. 4-amino-N, N-diethyl-3- methylbenzamide (DEET-NH2), has been applied on nylon fabric by the exhaust process. The change in the appearance of the fabric after finishing and the efficacy of functional properties, like mosquito repellency and antibacterial activity, has been evaluated using standard methods. The finished fabric shows mosquito repellency (100%) and antibacterial activity (>90%), which are found durable until at least 10 washes

A fabric sensitive to acidic vapors has been developed, using cationized cotton with eco-friendly pH-sensitive colorant turmeric. The fabric displays a color change in acidic and alkaline conditions on immersion and to acidic vapors. The fabrics show excellent reversibility on washing and can be used multiple times.

This work focuses on synthesizing superabsorbent material from polysaccharides, which are derived from environment-friendly raw materials like ligno-cellulosic agro-waste. Three ligno-cellulosic agro-waste fibres, namely banana, sisal and bagasse, have been taken for the present study, to synthesize natural superabsorbent polymer which are eco-friendly and bio-degradable. Cellulose has been extracted from sisal, bagasse and banana, of which cellulose yield has been high for banana fibres. Carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) synthesized from the extracted cellulose is cross-linked with aluminium sulphate octadecahydrate to subsequently synthesize superabsorbent polymer from these agro-waste fibres. The sysnthecised CMC from all the three agro-waste fibres shows great reduction in immersion time; CMC from sisal shows the least immersion time of 2.67 s. Banana fibres have recorded the highest degree of substitution. The superabsorbent polymer synthesized from banana fibres has shown an increase in absorbency and swelling rate but reduction in immersion time. This owes to the higher yield of cellulose and the higher degree of substitution attained in the case of banana fibres. This has been proved by chemical composition, SEM and FTIR analyses. This study helps in developing eco-friendly superabsorbent sanitary napkins.

The influence of loop length, stitches per inch, and sewing needle type on needle cut index in 100% cotton single jersey fabric has been studied considering factorial design. Further optimization of factors using Design Expert Tool has been done followed by ranking the optimized solution through TOPSIS method along with the confirmatory test. The results show that sewing needle type has the highest contribution with 29.83% followed by the 23.08% for stitches per inch and 11.95% in the case of loop length as far as needle cut index in the course direction is concerned. In the wale direction, sewing needle type has the highest contribution with 50.45% followed by the 13.30% for loop length and 10.77% for stitches per inch. It has also been observed that SES needle type is generating more needle cut as compared to SUK and SAN type needles. It is confirmed that the error percentage has been the lowest for highest rank solutions and subsequently the error increases with decreasing rank in terms of closeness coefficient. The present study is expected to be helpful for garment industrialists in minimising the needle cut defect among knitted garments and improve the quality of producing seam.

Effect of compressibility and foot pressure on the consumption behaviour of sewing threads in case of single and doublelayered denim fabrics has been investigated. Experiments involve fabric thickness of three different denim samples (cotton, and 90/8.5/1.5% & 92/6.5/1.5% cotton/polyester/elastane) and their compression properties measurement using Kawabata device. A relationship between compressional energy and consumed sewing thread values using lock stitch type 301 has been investigated. Based on this, accuracy of the coefficient of regression (close to 1) has been observed, indicating the positive relationship between compressibility property and sewing thread consumption behaviour. Implementation of software can help the industries to minimize their consumption errors and approximations. Nevertheless, under the same pressure value applied by the foot pressure, the thickness values of sewed layers can decrease differently as a function of their compressional resilience. Thus, it is obvious that thicker fabrics display lower compressional resilience and vice versa, which encourages more consumption of sewing thread.

This paper reports a comprehensive evaluation of electrical conductivity characteristics of woven fabrics. Stainless steel weft yarn and polyester warp yarn have been selected to fabricate plain and twill woven fabrics with two different densities. In order to improve electrical conductivity characteristics of woven fabrics, the fabrics are treated with reduced graphene oxide. Electrical conductivity of samples is analyzed in accordance with fabric structure. Furthermore, the effect of reduced graphene oxide treatment on electrical conductivity of samples has also been investigated. The structural identification of samples is evaluated with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results indicate that the electrical conductivity of fabrics improves with increase in density, and weave structure also affects the electrical conductivity. After the reduced graphene oxide treatment, the electrical conductivity of samples improves. The optimum conductivity of 442.28 S/m, for high density plain weave fabric dipped in reduced graphene oxide, was recorded.

An improvisation of enzymatic wet processing has been done by combining desizing and scouring treatment of cotton under benign conditions. The merit in this attempt lies in saving energy, time, water and importantly environment. The feasibility of this process is studied by evaluating the weight loss, absorbency and Tegewa rating. Concurrently, separate preparatory processes are also carried out and evaluated for comparison purpose. Further, to ensure the effectiveness of the combined process, peroxide bleaching of the enzyme-treated samples are carried out. The whiteness so obtained for single bath desize-scour fabrics is found to be comparable to that of separate bath processed fabrics, measured in terms of whiteness and yellowness indices. The samples later dyed also show similar results.

The influence of fibre blend composition on the moisture management properties of tri-blended cotton-rich knit fabrics with biodegradability has been studied. The cotton, polylactic acid and bamboo-viscose fibres are blended to produce yarns of 14.7 tex (40s Ne) with four different blend proportions, namely 60/20/20, 50/30/20, 50/20/30 and 40/30/30. The yarns are then knitted into a single jersey structure of 130-135 gsm, followed by its scouring, bleaching and relaxation treatments. The relaxed fabrics are then evaluated for dynamic moisture transport properties using the SDL Atlas moisture management tester. The moisture management test results indicate that blending polylactic acid fibres with cotton and bamboo-viscose fibres improves the blended fabric's moisture management properties. The overall moisture management capability value is found to be better for cotton/polylactic-acid/bamboo-viscose blended fabric in the proportion of 50/30/20.

In this study, juices from four different varieties of potatoes are extracted and then stored at 4˚C. Thereafter enzymes have been assayed at different periods and the juices are applied for the coloration of wool. Results reveal that potato juices demonstrate good storage stability. Though there are variations in the quantity of enzymes present in potatoes, the same is not reflected in the K/S values of the wool. The polymerization of catechol with potato juice results in coloured quinone derivatives which further react to form dimers, oligomers and polymers as confirmed by UV-Vis spectroscopy studies.

In conventional compression treatment using bandage or stocking, always there has been a problem of achieving and maintaining the recommended compression gradient and level. In addition, these devices are incapable of offering dynamic (massaging) compression, often preferred especially for senior and non-active patients to improve blood flow. To overcome these challenges, the application of shape memory materials is proven to provide a dynamic or selective pressure change directly on the limb. Memory material-based stockings or bandage have the potential to tackle the drawbacks of existing stockings by allowing users to modify pressure levels externally as needed during compression therapy, i.e. as a smart wound care device. This paper reports the consolidated information on traditional compression systems, their challenges, and modern methods involving active compression bandages based on smart materials technology (via shape memory polymer or shape memory alloy), which develop intermittent active pressure to alleviate the symptoms of lower limb problems.

Development and characterization of single-faced spun lace polyester-viscose (30:70) fabric as a top layer in incontinence products have been reported. One side of the fabric layer is coated with fluorocarbon using the spray coating process to make it hydrophobic. The coating process parameters, spraying distance (distance between spraying nozzle and fabric), finish concentration, and the partial coating are varied to determine the optimum combination. The effectiveness of the coating process has been assessed by measuring contact angle, moisture management, and rewet tests. The study reveals that the 30 cm spray distance and 5% finish concentration, sprayed following dot/zebra pattern, provides the layer's best liquid moisture transport properties. This process of making the front side hydrophobic and the other side hydrophilic promotes one-way liquid transport and can be very useful for many absorbent medical and hygiene products.

This research focuses on the development of polyurethane (PU)/silica (SiO2) nanofibrous membranes for the filtration of PM2.5 and bacteria, which has been further incorporated in three-layered face mask comprising cotton fabric, nanofibre membrane and polyester fabric. The surface morphology, PM2.5 filtration efficiency and bacterial filtration efficiency of PU/SiO2 nanofibrous membranes have been investigated to find out applicability of nanofibrous membranes in the filtration application. PU/SiO2 nanofibrous membranes (0.5%) are found to have a pressure drop of 126 Pa with filtration efficiency of 95.37% and bacterial filtration efficiency of 99.3% against E. coli bacteria strain. Two- and three-layered fabric structures are developed comprising PU/SiO2 nanofibrous membranes and their contact angle, water vapor transmission rate and air permeability are studied to observe the breathability and waterproof behaviour of the fabric structure. Three- layered PU/SiO2 nanofibrous membranes have contact angle, water vapor transmission rate and air permeability of 145±1°, 109 g/m2/day and 8.56 cm3/s/cm2 respectively.

Role of coating add-on and nature of textile substrate have been studied on microwave and EMI shielding properties of coated cotton fabric. Coated fabric samples have been prepared with coating formulations containing carbon black and milled carbon fibre in polyurethane matrix, using cotton (non-conducting) and conducting fabric (warp: SS20%/PET80%, weft: SS 55% / PET 45% ) substrate simultaneously. A high precision lab coating machine (Mathis Lab Coater, UK) has been used to produce coated fabric of uniform thickness (0.31- 0.67 mm). Coated fabrics are studied for microwave and EMI shielding properties in 8.2-18.0 GHz (X & Ku) frequency band in vertical and horizontal polarisation of electromagnetic wave. The microwave properties of coated fabric based on cotton substrate are found due to coating add-on only, as the cotton itself does not have any role to play. Cotton - based coated fabric with add-on of 257.7% exhibits 32-43% reflection, 22-39% transmission, 37-42% absorption and EMI shielding of 5.23-7.93 dB in 8.2- 18.0 GHz. On the other hand, microwave properties of coated fabric prepared on conducting substrates are found to produce synergetic effect of substrate material and coating add-on. Coated fabric on conducting substrate with add-on of 185.5% displays 92-82% reflection, 0.17-0.36% transmission, 7.20 - 26.310% absorption and EMI shielding of 23.98- 21.64 dB. Apart from this, coated fabrics are also prepared with gradual increase of coating add-on in order to understand the effect of ultimate coating add-on loading and to obtain optimum threshold combined effect of coating add-on and substrate materials. Sample with coating add-on of 237.9% acquires high surface conductivity (σ = 46.34 S/m) and low surface resistivity (34.25 Ω/□). Coated fabric offers 93.47-79.47% reflection, 6.39-22.07% absorption, <0.2% transmission, and EMI shielding of 28.86- 26.68 dB.

Woven cotton and silk fabric samples have been dyed with Racinus communis extract at optimized conditions of extract concentration, temperature, material - to - liquor ratio (MLR), alum concentration and treatment time, and then evaluated for their fastness properties following ISO standards, antimicrobial activity quantitatively against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial strains and wash durability. Central composite design and single-factor design have been used in the optimization process, and based on the lowest number of colony-forming units per milliliter, optimized values are selected. The results indicate that optimized extract concentration of 39%, dyeing temperature of 70ºC, alum concentration of 3g/L, MLR of 1:30 (silk) and 1:40 (cotton), and treatment time of 30min (silk) and 40min (cotton) lead to 99.84% and 99.78% bacterial count reduction against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa respectively for dyed cotton fabrics. However, for dyed silk fabrics, a more improved percentage reduction in the bacterial count of 99.88% and 99.83% respectively is realized against both bacterial strains. Retention of the antimicrobial activity of dyed fabrics is found to be more significant even after 5 washes. The fastness properties of rubbing, washing, light, and perspiration for both fabrics range from moderate to excellent.

Sound absorption properties of polyamide 6 (PA6) nanofibre webs and a widely used sound absorption foam coated with nanofibre webs have been investigated. Initial studies have focused on the electrospinning by using PA6 polymer to obtain uniform and bead-free nanofibres. Thereafter, nanofibres are electrospun on an absorption foam through two spinning durations of 10 h and 20 h. Thicknesses, mass per unit area values, porosities, pore sizes, and Brunauer-Emmet-Teller surface areas of the webs are determined. At characterization stage, sound absorption coefficients of pure nanofibre webs, pure foam, and foams enhanced with nanofibre webs are measured by acoustic impedance tube method. Noise reduction coefficients (NRC) are also calculated. Sound absorption coefficients at 6400 Hz are observed as 0.76 and 0.74 for nanofibre webs electrospun during 10 h and 20 h respectively. The NRC values are found as 0.189, 0.197 and 0.192 for pure foam sample and nanofibre webs electrospun during 10 h and 20 h respectively. Overall results of the study indicate that moderate mid-high frequency sound absorption and noise reduction coefficients are obtained by using the nanofibre web coated foams.

In the present study, novel insulation materials, such as nonwoven blankets with nanofibre webs, along with the conventional materials, such as stone wool blankets and nonwoven blankets containing silica aerogel for glass fibre fabric/epoxy composites, have been investigated experimentally. The results reveal that the nonwoven blankets containing nanofibres may replace the conventional stone wool insulation layers or nonwovens with silica aerogel insulation layer especially in the vibrational working conditions due to the brittle nature of both of these conventional materials.

Though several advancements occurred in the wound management and wound dressing sector, still there is scope for improvement in this area. Recently, several researchers focused on the use of bacterial cellulose in the wound dressing area. However, the use of bacterial cellulose is not yet commercialized widely. The three-dimensional fibre assembly, nano-sized fibre, and very high swelling and water holding capacity are the unique characteristics of bacterial cellulose. This review aims at analyzing the recent advancements in the use of bacterial cellulose in wound dressing application. The first part of the review evaluates the intrinsic properties of bacterial cellulose and its importance in wound healing. The latter part of the review consolidates the recent research works and advancements in bacterial cellulose wound dressing. Finally, the review details the potential merits and demerits of bacterial cellulose along with the scope for future research.

The present study is focussed on the impact of change in the lactate concentration (43 mM and 22 mM) in sweat solution on liquid moisture transmission behaviour through the clothing. The sweat solution with higher concentration of lactate (43 mM) shows delayed wetting at the top surface both in case of individual layer and multi-layer fabric ensembles, i.e. it takes longer time to wet the top surface in spite of the lower contact angle made by it. Significant difference is observed in inplane transmission behaviour of both the sweat solutions in the case of multi-layered ensembles. In case of multi-layered ensembles, wetting time reduces drastically, even though both the ensembles consist of polyester knit as the inner surface possessing wetting time is 50 s approximately. Sweat solution with higher lactate concentration also shows higher crossplanar transmission rate as compared to in-plane transmission. Uni-directional seamed multi-layered spacer fabric exhibits better overall moisture management coefficient as compared to bi-directional seamed spacer ensembles with sweat solution containing higher lactate concentration. Middle layer also plays a vital role in altering the overall liquid moisture transmission behaviour.

Antimicrobial compounds (essential oils) have been extracted from natural spices, such as oregano and cinnamon, using organic solvent (ethylene) by soxhlet apparatus. The above bioactive agents (5% & 10 % owfseparately for both agents) are applied separately on plain cotton and polyester/cotton woven fabrics using pad-dry-cure process. For fixation of the finishing agents, glutaraldehyde (8% owf) has been used as a cross-linking agent along with sodium hypophosphite (2% owf) as the catalyst. Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of untreated and treated fabrics has been performed quantitatively by percentage reduction test against test organisms Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli. The results indicate that treated fabrics register >90% antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and E. coli bacterial strains. After 10 washes, the efficacy of antimicrobial activity is reduced by 10-20% only. A small decrease in flexibility, breaking strength and elongation properties is observed for treated fabrics. However, treated fabrics show enhanced crease recovery.

A strain sensor based nylon/spandex double rib elastic knitted fabric has been fabricated by coating graphene and adhesive. The morphology, conductivity and sensing property of treated fabric are investigated. The coated knit fabric exhibits a good conductivity of 15.65 S/m and the resulting strain sensors could detect the small strains of about 0.2% with gauge factor of 29.15. Within a strain range of 0-20%, the gauge factor is found as 28.64. It also shows excellent performance in terms of sensitivity, stability and durability over 5000 wash cycles, and could monitor small external deformations with a response time of 0.24s. Moreover, it has good washability.