DEVELOPMENT OF HYDROPHOBIC NONWOVEN FABRIC FOR OIL SPILL AND MEDICAL APPLICATIONS

Abstract

The objective of this study to develop needle punched cotton nonwoven fabric followed with modifying super hydrophobic and ol eophilic property
using Toluene -2,4 diisocynate (TDI) agent by pad-dry-cure method. Both the hydrophobicity and oleophilicity of treated bamboo fabric was controlled
by adjusting the concentration of TDI. It was found that with an increase in the TDI content, the hydrophobicity and oleophilicity of bamboo fibre
surface increased; there by exhibiting oil sorption ability. The effect of surface wetting behavior on oil and water sorption efficiency of the fabric and
antimicrobial property was studied. The results show that the developed hydrophobic and oleophilic property of fabric exhibit oil absorption capacity
of approximately 10.5 g/g and 96.28 weight % of oil-water separation efficiency with strong durability and mechanical strength. The bacteriostatic rates
of natural bamboo fiber based fabric against the bacteria were 40.2%; that of treated fabric were 95.0%.