Photocatalytic activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles and boric acid for bleaching process on cotton fabric

Abstract

In this study, a photocatalytic process was applied as an alternative to conventional hydrogen peroxide bleaching on 100% cotton fabric. The effects of ZnO nanoparticles and boric acid as catalysts were investigated. Additionally, the synergistic impact of boric acid on the well-known bleaching effect of titanium dioxide nanoparticles was explored. Unlike existing literature, the study uniquely addressed whether the photocatalytic process, without the use of any catalyst, has a specific effect, particularly in whitening, on the color spectrum. All conducted photocatalytic processes on cotton fabrics were compared with conventional hydrogen peroxide bleaching in terms of color spectra (CIE L*, a*, b*, whiteness indexes) besides the SEM, SEM-EDX, and FTIR-ATR characterization tests. Moreover, XRD, SEM, and FTIR-ATR analysis results of ZnO nanoparticles were also shared in this study. After the photocatalytic processes, tearing strenght of all cotton fabrics were tested. This research is believed to shed light on future studies by evaluating more environmentally friendly pre-treatment processes in textile industry.