Self Cleaning Finish on Textiles

Self-cleaning is the term which has attracted lot of attention in the recent years. When we think of any surface, three kinds of self-cleanings come to our mind; physical, chemical and bio logical self-c leanings. The physical self-cleaning means physically removal of dust and dirt particles present on any surface. These surfaces are available in nature like lotus leaves, rice leaves and duck feathers. The chemical self-cleaning refers to chemically degradation of stains present on the surface, and the biological self-cleaning means killing of bacteria if they attach on the surface and prevention of their growth. One way to achieve self-cleaning properties of textiles is to employ nanotechnologies, especially metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) with photocatalytic activities. A self-cleaning coating comprised of photocatalytic titanium dioxide (TiO2) offers three unique properties when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light: 1) strong oxidation power that eliminates odour causing bacteria; 2) the breakdown of long chain organic molecules into smaller ones; and 3) a surface that experiences super-hydrophilicity, which allows these small chained organic molecules and everyday dirt and stains to be easily washed away with water. Self-cleaning coatings have the potential for creating important labour-saving and bacteria resistant surfaces on textiles material. Several studies reveal that the self-cleaning properties of woven cotton fabric after coating with nanoparticles of Tio2 were studied and it was found that the self-cleaning effect was stronger for samples coated with higher Tio2 concentrations. The ultimate consequence in developing these self-cleaning fabrics is that we can really limit our use of things like chemicals, energy and water. That offer superior resistance to dirt as well as water and require much less cleaning than conventional fabrics. Self-cleaning property will become a standard feature of future textile and other commonly used materials to maintain hygiene and prevent the spreading of pathogenic infection by environment benign route. The coating could be applied to suits, hospital garments, sportswear, military uniforms and outdoor fabrics. Key words: self-cleaning coating, nanoparticles, photocatalysis.