The Effect of Inorganic Nanoparticles on Diffuse Reflectance Behavior of the Printed Cotton/Nylon Blend Fabric in Near Infrared and Short-Wave Infrared Spectral Ranges

Diffuse reflectance spectra of printed cotton/nylon blend fabrics coated with inorganic compounds are investigated in near infrared (NIR) and short-wave infrared (SWIR) in order to tune the diffuse reflectance behavior of them with the ones in woodland and desert backgrounds. Cotton/nylon blend fabrics printed with four-color digital pattern were used as the substrate and different concentrations of zirconium and cerium dioxide (ZrO2 and CeO2) with and without citric acid as cross-linker were loaded on these fabrics using pad-dry-cure method. Coated fabrics were measured by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Adding 1% (w/v) of nanoparticles to fabric could approach the reflection spectrum of fabrics to reflection pattern of forest and desert areas by reducing the reflection trend. Also, adding 6% (w/v) citric acid combined with 1% (w/v) cerium dioxide and magnesium oxide to the fabric could reduce the total reflection at all wavelengths. However, the reduction of reflection intensity of magnesium oxide was higher at all wavelengths. Electron microscopy images also showed that fabrics coated with cerium dioxide had a better dispersion on the surface of fabric and a mean particle size about 50 to 70 nanometers. In contrast, magnesium oxide nanoparticles, when bonded with citric acid, exhibit better adsorption on the fabric but are more likely to accumulate.