O o d h e a d p u b L i s h I n g L i m I t e d

.
 and
HO˙ along with H
2
O
2
 are produced. These species are able to decolour most
stains. The use of a chemical spacer, a relatively unreactive poly-carboxylic
acid, to bind the titanium dioxide to the cotton resulted in better removal of
coffee and wine stains (Meilert et al., 2005). Titanium dioxide and zinc
oxide nanoparticles have also been used to protect textiles from UV damage
and enhance the SPF rating of fabrics (Karst and Yang, 2006).
Nanoparticles and nano-emulsions have been used to protect reactive
dyes and colour fibres. Microencapsulation techniques have been demonstrated
(Baptista et al., 2004) to increase the levelness of reactive dyes on cotton and
polyamide textiles. Their use on wool will be discussed later in this chapter.
Another method for colouring textiles has been the development of nanoparticle
pigments that are small enough to diffuse into textile fibres. Carbon Black
nanoparticles (Li and Sun, 2003) and self-dispersible Carbon Black
nanoparticles (Li and Sun, 2007) have been used to colour textiles. It was
found that only particles near 8 nm diameter diffused into the fibres using
conventional dyeing conditions.
The fastest growing commercial use of nanoparticles in textiles is producing
antimicrobial textiles using nanoparticle silver or silver-containing
nanoparticles. Lee et al. (2003) found 2–5 nm silver nanoparticles applied to
cotton and polyester fabrics gave good antimicrobial effect and had acceptable
durability to laundering. Other applications of silver-containing nanoparticles
on textiles include production of burn dressings (Atiyeh et al., 2007) and the
application of silver-containing sol–gels to cotton (Xing et al., 2007).
Carbon nanotubes are becoming an increasingly important source of
nanoparticles for textile applications, particularly as production rates increase
and prices drop. Holme (2008) reports several laboratory-scale uses of carbon
nanotubes, including producing conducting fibres by the application of
nanotubes to the surface of polyester fibres using strong binders to ensure
stability of the coating and increasing the strength of nylon and polyester by
including carbon nanotubes in the bulk material. Other emerging technologies,
not considered in detail in this chapter, include electrospun nanofibres and
the use of nanofibres to produce yarns.
© 2009 Woodhead Publishing Limited

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Enhancing wool products using nanotechnology
255
10.1.5 Risks of nanotechnology on textiles
Much has been written about the environmental and health risks of
nanotechnology. Karst and Yang (2006) have reviewed much of this literature
and concluded that ‘along with these benefits come risks to health and the
environment. ... As the textile industry continues to be one of the leaders in
nanotechnology research and manufacturing, the health and environment
risks will need to be evaluated.’
The toxicity of nanoparticles is not fully understood, particularly as the