Abstract:
Textile surfaces engineered with infrared/ultraviolet energy shielding coatings are an emerging technology
in the processing of solar heat protective cool-textiles. In this work, such multifunctional coatings were
prepared using silane treated nano ZnO hybrid embedded PMMA colloids on a model black colored
cotton textile. Black cotton fabrics were selected for the study because they exhibit a high heat-build up
tendency due to the inherent black body radiation effect. 3-(Aminopropyl)trimethoxy silane modified nano
ZnO hybrids (APZO NHs) were first prepared and transformed into a stable colloidal dispersion in a PMMA
medium to obtain an APZO NHs/PMMA sol. This hybrid–polymer colloidal sol was dip-coated on the
fabric surface to form multilayer coatings. This surface engineered black cotton was subjected to studies
of its phase analysis, chemical interaction, and morphological features in addition to its NIR reflectance,
UV shielding efficiency and antifungal properties. The NIR/UV reflectance performance was analyzed with
respect to the number of coatings and compared with the standard white cotton fabric which has roughly
50% NIR reflectance. When silane treated ZnO hybrid particulates are embedded in the PMMA matrix, the
polymer coatings offer mechanically stable, UV/NIR radiation shielding textile surfaces in the wavelength
region between 360 to 1600 nm that eventually turns the black cotton to cool-black textiles. The coatings
also offer hydrophobic functionality as well as strong protection against the growth of Aspergillus flavus
and Aspergillus niger fungi species resulting in biosafe textiles
