Investigation of ultraviolet protective cotton knitwear fabric with chemical approach

Abstract

Clothing has been considered as a useful means of protection against ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, as textiles form a tangible intimate covering on human skin. Recently, quantifying the degree of protection offered by textile materials is in the forefront. However, previous research on UV protection textile was limited on woven fabric. Cotton knitted fabric is usually consider as poor protection against UV radiation due to its complicated yarn structures and bent stitches. The purpose of this study was to determine if the UV protection of cotton knitted fabrics could be enhanced through the judicious selection and application of reactive and direct dyes with different concentration. Moreover, this study further examined the influence of various textile wet processing agent on the UV protection properties of the knitted fabrics such as optical brightening agent (OBA), UV absorbers and biopolishing with cellulase enzyme. The results obtained indicated that coloration had a great extent influence on the UV protection ability of the knitted fabrics. Furthermore, the application of UV absorbers on white or pale color cotton fabrics has more significant impact in reducing the transmission of UV radiation than dark color fabrics. The biopolishing could enhance the fabrics appearance without adversely impact on the UV protection ability of cotton knitted fabric.