Preparation and application of nanochitosan to finishing treatment with anti-microbial and anti-shrinking properties

In this study, we used low-molecular-weight chitosan (LWCS) to prepare nanochitosan (NCH) and applied this material to wool fabric finishing treatment. The diameters and zeta potential of the nanochitosan decreased as the value of the molecular weight of chitosan decreased. Additionally, the wool fabric was treated with various types of chitosan. The anti-bacterial and shrink-proofing properties of the treated fabric are ranked as following: NCH > LWCS > chitosan. The former two properties also increased as the concentration of nanochitosan increased. In addition, the nanochitosan-treated wool fabric possesses better anti-bacterial and shrink-proofing properties after washing for 20 times. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.