UV radiation inducing succinic acid/silica–kaolinite network on cellulose fiber to improve the functionality

The aim of this research was to embed silica–kaolinite on a cotton surface using succinic acid (SA) as a cross-linking agent and sodium hypophosphite (SHP) as a catalyst. The influence of inorganic particles on the performance of the cellulose fiber was investigated using Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermo-gravimetric analyzer (TGA), scanning electron microscope (SEM), electron dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX), water contact angle (WCA) and reflectance spectroscopy (RS). ATR showed the possible interactions between silica, kaolinite, the cross-linking agent and cellulose functional groups on the surface. The results obtained from the thermal measurements demonstrated that the stabilized silica–kaolinite particles can significantly improve the thermal stability of the cotton fiber. This research suggests a successful method for stabilization and compatibility of various inorganic particles on cotton.