The effect of Inorganic Nanoparticles on Camouflage Properties of Cotton/Polyester Fabrics

In order to make use of the reflectance behavior of woodland colors to produce dark brown in the UV-VIS-NIR bands, two colored pigments were used to print cotton/polyester (Co/PET) goods. Inorganic nanoparticles of TiO2, ZnO and Al2O3 were also loaded in the printing formulation. The reflectance profile of treated samples was studied using Jasco V-670 reflectance spectrophotometer. The effect of inorganic nanoparticles on rubbing, light and washing fastnesses as well as wettability and air permeability of printed samples were investigated. Tuning the reflectance curve of dark brown shade was successfully applied using colored pigments along with the nanoparticles. The results indicate that the presence of TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles in load of 0.25-1 g/kg in printing pastes made significant changes in the behavior of IR band, though only a slight change in visible reflectance of printed fabrics was found. The samples containing nanoparticles showed great fastness levels in washing, rubbing and light fastness experiments and a considerable increase in wettability of printed fabrics. Furthermore, air permeability of printed fabrics containing nanoparticles was superior to samples printed without nanoparticles. Prog. Color Colorants Coat.