Vol. 12, Issue 2 (2023)

Author(s):
Madhusmita Tarai and Mona Verma

Abstract:
Due to competition, adding value, and expanding market opportunities, the significance of active coatings for smart textiles grew quickly. Since the past ten years, people look for functional as well as attractive qualities in products. Due to their unique characteristics, such as the protection of the active ingredient, controlled release, compatibility, and also the provision of a higher specific surface area to enhance the functionalities, microencapsulation and microcapsules have been playing a significant role in this context in order to achieve the desired properties. A broad variety of core materials, including aqueous solutions, water-immiscible liquids, and solid particles, may be encapsulated with this technology. Although several methods have been employed for a textile application, such as interfacial polymerization, in-situ polymerization, phase coacervation, or solvent evaporation, the formulation of microcapsules made of polymeric material and an encapsulating active principle is challenging. The most appealing commercial applications today focus on enhancing the capabilities of textiles, such as controlled release of active ingredients for cosmetic textiles, textiles that repel insects or provide medical benefits, thermal comfort with phase change materials, aesthetic effect with thermochromic solution, or wearer protection.