ABSTRACT
Of the scientific and technological breakthroughs achieved at the fag end of last century has been the use of nanomaterials/nanotechnology in various areas including medical and electronic equipments. The textile industry too was not be left behind, and got on to the nanotechnology band wagon with research on incorporating nanomaterials in fabrics to impart certain functionalities. The thrust has been on the study and use of nanomaterials in textiles during manufacturing (Harholdt et al., 2003) as well as finishing. Some of the most widely studied nanomaterials for textile applications include nano silver and nanotitania. The former incorporates anti-microbial properties and the later self-cleaning and hydrophobic properties. Titania, even in its bulk form, is frequently used in the production of paints, paper, plastics, cosmetics, food colouring agent, etc. Apart from these two materials, zinc oxide in nano form has also been studied and is found to incorporate UV blocking property to the fabric. Other areas of research wherein nanomaterials have potential use in textile industry is imparting nano-based chemical finishes – use of nanoscale emulsification for an even, thorough and stronger bonding of the chemical to the fabric material. The chemical finishes are incorporated with the objective of imparting wrinkle resistance, hydrophilicity, stain resistance, etc. On the manufacturing side, use of nanofibers like carbon nanofibers along with traditional synthetic fibers like nylon, polyester, polyethylene have been studied and are reported to impart a greatly enhanced mechanical strength. Carbon nanoparticles as well as clay nanoparticles in a synthetic matrix like nylon are reported to have not only enhanced mechanical properties but also other functionalities like chemical resistance, flame retardant and UV blocking properties (Lei Qian, 2004).
