UV-Protecting and Antibacterial Finishing of Cotton Knits

Abstract

This article deals with enhancing the UV-protecting properties as well as the antibacterial activity of knitted cotton fabrics against two kinds of bacteria: gram-positive bacteria (G +ve), i.e., Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and gram-negative bacteria (G -ve), i.e., Escherichia coli (E. coli). Results showed that the extent of improvement in the UPF values are determined by: the fabric structure, i.e., Interlock > Pique > Parasol, pretreatment history, i.e., gray > scoured > bleached, type of softening agent, incorporation of the UV-absorber in the softening bath as well as sequence of addition, in addition to the nature of the deposited metal-oxide, i.e., Cu > Zr > Zn > Al approximate to none. On the other hand, the antibacterial activities of the treated substrates against G +ve and G -ve bacteria are outstandingly improved by using the proper: fabric structure, i.e., Parasol > Interlock > Pique, state of the