Green Surface Engineering of Jute–Cotton Textiles using Crateva religiosa and Aloe vera for Advanced Comfort and Breathability

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the functionalization of jute-cotton blend fabrics with active substances (from tepur and aloe) by using the pad-dry-cure process. The two active substances (tepur extract from leaves of Crateva religiosa, and Aloe vera gel) were applied individually and together, on the fabrics, with two concentration (5% and 10%). A set of tests (MMT, MNR, FTIR, tensile strength, air permeability, WVTR, contact angle, thermal conductivity and porosity) were performed in order to analyze the functionalization achieved. This study demonstrated a significant improvement of the moisture transport and retention; indeed, the dual treated fabric (10% Tepur+ 10% Aloe vera) presents OMMC (0.78), MNR (20%) and WVTR (~1050g/m/day) values as highest. FTIR showed effective coating and embedding of the compounds containing alkaloids, flavonoids and polysaccharides in the fabric structure. A reduction of tensile strength (~132 N) but, a high increment of the air permeability and porosity values were recorded, which is suitable for an appropriate comfort. A reduction of contact angle (78) demonstrated that the treatments improve hydrophilicity, and a low increase of the thermal conductivity (0.047 W/mK) suggests an appropriate thermal comfort. This research indicates the great efficiency of combining tepur and Aloe vera compounds on the functionalization and confort behavior of jute-cotton fabrics.