Design of textile UV-SHIELDS by vat dyes modification

The problem of human being protecting against UV radiation is becoming more and more significant from year to year and requires urgent solutions. Just UVB causes 50-90% of skin cancer and especially affects children, adolescents and older people. Textile screens are the simplest and most effective means to protect against the negative effects of UV radiation (UVR). Usually, white cotton and linen fabrics are used for summer clothes. However, these materials have a low ultraviolet protective factor (UPF ~ 5). Known developments that relate to the modification of textile materials to protect against UV radiation, suggest the use of dense woven structures; modification with some metals oxides; the use of UV absorbers that are derivats of harmful chemicals (for example, o-hydroxybenzophenones). But these methods do not always provide the sufficiently level of UV protection. In our paper, the effectiveness of vat dyes using to create textile screens for UV protection was investigated. In this study was investigated cotton fabrics dyed with some vat dyes: turquoise, blue, yellow. UVR transmittance studies were performed on optical spectrometer Solar SL40-2 (PSI-Line software). A high pressure discharge lamp DRT-125 was used. As studies have shown, the most effective is a cotton textile screen, dyed with vat blue.