Thermal and antimicrobial evaluation of cotton functionalized with a chitosan–zeolite composite and microcapsules of phase-change materials

Antimicrobial cotton was developed with silver zeolites (SZs). Three different application approaches for the cotton surface functionalization were followed: (1) SZ alone, (2) SZ combined with chitosan film, and (3) chitosan–zeolite (CS–SZ) composites previously synthesized by a gelation process with sodium tripolyphosphate. All finishes were applied to the textile materials through conventional pad–dry–cure processes, and the obtained results were then compared. The resulting materials were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, IR thermography, and contact angle measurements, and the antimicrobial activity was evaluated. The results suggest that the application of CS–SZ should be recommended for the production of textiles with antibacterial properties because the materials showed activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, and Trichophyton rubrum. In addition, the finishing can be combined with the application of microcapsules of phase-change materials to obtain textiles with thermoregulating properties. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46135. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals,

The authors thank the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development of Brazil (CNPq) for a doctoral scholarship (contract grant number 233550/2014-3). This research was partially supported by the Strategic Funding UID/Multi/04423/2013 through national funds provided by FCT Foundation for Science and Technology and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), in the framework of the program PT2020. This work was also financed by FEDER funds through the Competitiveness Factors Operational Program-COMPETE and by national funds through FCT-Foundation for Science and Technology within the scope of project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007136.