Influence of banana pseudostem aqueous extract on the comfort properties of cotton fabric

Abstract

Background: Pseudostem is a part of banana plant that looks like trunk which is formed by tightly overlapping leaf sheaths. The main aim of the study is to apply the pseudostem extract on the cotton fabric at varying pH level by pad-dry-cure method and evaluate the comfort properties of the fabric. Materials and Methods: The pseudostem extract was prepared in a grinder. The cotton fabric was treated with banana pseudostem aqueous extract by pad-dry-cure method. The pH of the solution is varied from 6 to 8 by keeping the temperature and time constant. The influence of pH on the comfort properties of the fabric such as air permeability, wickability, and thermal resistivity is studied. Results and Discussion: The fabric treated with pH 6.5 has given better comfort properties. The thermal resistivity of the fabric was improved by 9.24, 7.26, 6.49, and 4.46% than the samples treated with pH 6, 7, 7.5, and 8. No significant influence on fabric wickability and air permeability is found due to change in pH.