Aged-look vat dyed cotton with anti-bacterial/anti-fungal properties by treatment with nano clay and enzymes

In this research, nanotechnology as a route to functional finishing of textiles was used along with bio-finishing to enhance the cotton fabrics performance. For this purpose, quaternary modified montmorillonite and common enzymes such as cellulase, laccase and their mixture were applied on vat dyed cotton fabric. Characteristic analysis of the treated samples and the dispersed nano clays in the effluent of the treatment was performed by various analyzing methods. The nano/bio-finishing is believed to impart antibacterial and antifungal activities with simultaneously higher lightness, advanced softness and handle properties into cotton fabrics. Moreover, cotton fabrics were proved to have no adverse effects (low toxicity) on human dermal fibroblasts. Findings suggest the potential of the proposed method in reducing the risk of microorganism for textile applications and imparting better handle and appearance properties. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.