Development of fragrant microcapsules for woven cotton fabric

Abstract

A consumer-oriented twenty first century challenges garment and fabric producers to come up with innovations which result from the technological advancements to not only help in strengthening the existing product line but also to diversify and flourish in new areas. Many fragrant fabrics have been developed nowadays due to the reason of enjoying a healthy life style, and these novel products often possess additional functionalities which are good for human health. Not only does plant essential oil give off a pleasant smell but also the functions of antiseptic, antiphlogistic and emotional calming. In the present study, microencapsulation of geranium oil was carried out on cotton woven fabric. Geranium oil was selected as the core material and gum acacia as wall material for encapsulation using complex coacervation technique and ratio of 1:4:4 of oil, gum and gelatin, at a temperature of 50°C with initial and final pH 4.5 and 9.0 respectively was optimized for microencapsulation process. Microencapsulation helped in controlling the release rate of aroma and imparted durable fragrance finish on textiles