Thermal, Mechanical and Biological Studies of Chitosan Treated Cotton Fabric

The antibacterial cotton fabrics were prepared by treating cotton fabrics with different concentration of chitosan using glutaraldehyde as a cross-linking agent. Thermal analysis of fabric samples were performed from ambient temperature to 700°C in a flowing argon medium at heating rates of 20°C min-1. The antimicrobial activity of treated cotton fabrics were tested against S. aureus and E. coli by shake flask method. The mechanical testing of cotton fabric such as tensile strength, crease recovery angle and air-permeability are also studied before and after treatment with chitosan using standard test methods.