Manufacture of UV Absorbers and UV Protection Fabrics Using Microcapsules

Abstract

This study aimed to develop UV protection fabrics by microencapsulation methods. The sol-gel method was used to manufacture spherical silica microcapsules in an O/W/O emulsion. UV protection fabrics were prepared by attaching microcapsules to cotton-knitted fabrics. The appropriate conditions for microencapsulation were 20 % (w/v) UV absorber content, 0.5 % (w/v) HPC addition concentration, 6% (w/v) PEG addition concentration, 6 h agitation time, and 1000 rpm agitation speed. The particle distribution of microcapsules manufactured under the appropriate conditions was 2-12 mu m, and the average particle size was 6.27 mu m. With regard to the thermal characteristics of the microcapsules, the first peak appeared at 152 degrees C, with the second peak at 250 degrees C. Cotton-knitted fabrics treated with silica microcapsules maintained an 80-90 % UV protection rate even after repeated washing.