Synthesis and application of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on cotton fabrics for UV protection

In recent years, the requirements for the sun protection has increased dramatically with climate change specially in high UV index regions. This study was carried out to examine, test and enhance the ultraviolet protection of cotton fabric after applying titanium dioxide nanoparticles. Samples with different concentration of titanium dioxide nanoparticles were prepared by pad-dry- cure method and used in multiple test settings which investigated the presence and effectiveness of applied nanoparticles on fabric. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet protection and tensile strength were used to investigate the resultant effect. The results demonstrated that titanium dioxide nanoparticles showed effective resistance against ultraviolet rays and provided excellent ultraviolet protection while, little increase in tensile strength of treated fabric was observed.