Binder effectiveness of microcapsules applied onto cotton fabrics during laundry

Abstract

Microcapsules can be added to fabric in industrial processes; however, they have not been widely spread among industrial companies. In this study, we suggest the possibility of reloading microcapsules onto a fabric while clothes are washed. The effectiveness of different resins when microcapsules are applied in washing machine during domestic laundry process has been studied. Microcapsules containing lavender fragrance and melamine formaldehyde shell were adhered to the fabric by means of one acrylic acid as a resin (RES) or some cross-linking agents, such as butanetetracarboxylic acid or succinic acid (SUC). In order to evaluate their behaviour, some laundering or ironing tests were conducted according to international standards (ISO). Every sample from the laboratory was studied with scanning electron microscopy and with a particle size counter. As a result, we could observe which was the most suitable auxiliary used to bind microcapsules to fabric, and conclude that the conditions in which we obtained the application with SUC as binder and cured at 150 °C for 2 min show the optimal results. It was demonstrated that domestic laundry is a suitable process to incorporate microcapsules to garments.