Cotton clothing is referred to as the clothing of the poor,
because of its low cost. But, with its
water absorbing property, it easily gets
stained and regular washing brings
down the cloth’s durability.
Researchers at the IIT Dhanbad with
collaborators at The Ohio State University recently tackled this problem,
by making liquid repellent cotton. They
achieved this using a simple technique – dipping the cloth in a hexadecyltrimethoxysilane solution, which
forms a liquid repellent layer on the
surface. This layer on cotton cloth
forms a barrier between the liquid and
the material, reducing the surface
energy of the cloth.
‘As a result, the liquid doesn’t stick
to the cloth, and drains off, without
leaving a stain’, says Bharat Bhushan,
The Ohio State University.
This has been tested with water, and
other common household liquids, such
as coffee, tea and honey, which otherwise leave stains. The modified cloth
has antibacterial properties as well.
Bacterial growth is slow on the surface.
‘The cloth can now withstand harsh
heat and washing better than normal
cotton, making it more durable’, adds
Aditya Kumar, IIT Dhanbad.
The liquid repellent cotton cloth
holds promise for the textile industry.
So do not be surprised, if, in the near
future, cotton clothes come with antibacterial and self-cleaning properties.
However, any reaction to the skin and
side effect of long-term contact of hexadecyltrimethoxysilane with the human
body are yet to be tested.
0 Comments