Title
Chemical finishing of cotton fabric with silk fibroin and its properties
Authors
SIRIPON KOSAWATNAKUL MONTHON NAKPATHOM THOMAS BECHTOLD and ARUNEE K. ALDRED

Received March 4, 2017
Published Volume 52 Issue 1-2 January-February
Keywords silk fibroin, cotton, dimethyloldihydroxyethylene urea, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy

Abstract
Silk fibroin was extracted from silk waste and formulated as finish for cotton fabric, utilizing dimethyloldihydroxyethylene urea (DMDHEU) as crosslinker. The treated cotton fabrics were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry (ATR-FTIR), and with regard to their nitrogen content. The presence of the extracted silk fibroin on the cotton fabric surface was confirmed by SEM images, nitrogen content and K/S values. The SEM images of treated cotton fabrics showed deposition of silk fibroin from silk waste on the fabric surface. The treated cotton fabrics were dyed with acid dye. The dyed cotton fabric demonstrated high color strength with increasing silk fibroin concentration. The physical properties of treated cotton fabrics, i.e. water uptake, wrinkle recovery angle and breaking strength, were determined. The test results showed significant increments in water uptake and wrinkle recovery angle values, as well as a slight decrease in breaking strength, with increasing concentration of silk fibroin.