The excellent electrical properties of graphene provide a new functional finishing idea for fabricating conductive cotton fabrics with antistatic properties. This work develops a novel method for synthesizing active graphene to make cotton fabrics conductive and to have antistatic properties. The graphite was oxidized to graphene oxide (GO) by the Hummers method, and was further acid chlorinated and reacted with the para-ester to form the active graphene (JZGO). JZGO was then applied to cotton fabrics and was bonded to the fiber surface under alkaline conditions. Characterizations were done using FT-IR, XRD and Raman spectroscopy, which indicated that the para-ester group was successfully introduced onto JZGO, which also effectively improved the water dispersibility and reactivity of the JZGO. Furthermore, this study found that the antistatic properties of the fabric were increased by more than 50% when JZGO was 3% by weight under low-humidity conditions. The washing durability of the fabrics was also evaluated.

A robust superhydrophobic organosilica sol-gel-based coating on a cotton fabric substrate was successfully fabricated via a cost-effective one-step method. The coating was prepared by modification of silica nanoparticles with siloxane having long alkyl chain that allow to reduce surface energy. The coating on cotton fabric exhibited water contact angle of 151.6°. The surface morphology was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, and surface chemical composition was measured with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Results showed the enhanced superhydrophobicity that was attributed to the synergistic effect of roughness created by the random distribution of silica nanoparticles and the low surface energy imparted of long-chain alkane siloxane. In addition, the coating also showed excellent durability against washing treatments. Even after washed for 30 times, the specimen still had a water contact angle of 130°, indicating an obvious water-repellent property. With this outstanding property, the robust superhydrophobic coating exhibited a prospective application in textiles and plastics.

A series of water-soluble co-polymer (NS) from N-vinylpyrrolidone (NVP) and sodium p-styrenesulfonate (SSS) with a low molecular weight are synthesized as substitutes for urea in the reactive printing of cotton fabrics. The effects of the monomer ratio of NVP to SSS on the color yield of the printed fabrics, the color fastness, and the solubility of the reactive dyes were investigated. The possibility of using a flocculation treatment for printing wastewater was also evaluated. When the dosage of NS-02 (NVP:SSS=7:3) in the printing paste is 1.0 wt%, the color yield and the color fastness of the printed fabric are equivalent to or better than those obtained with 3.0 wt% urea. Compared with the traditional reactive printing with urea, the total nitrogen content in the wastewater after NS-02 is reduced to 15% of that using urea when treated with a suitable amount of inorganic flocculants. It meets the national discharge requirements for printing and dyeing wastewater. The study shows that a low-molecular-weight co-polymer (NS-02) has a high potential to replace urea for the printing of cotton fabric with reactive dyes.