Effect of Herbal Extract Treatment on the Moisture Management Properties of Cotton Knitted Fabrics

In this work, the moisture management properties of combination herbal extract treated cotton knitted fabrics were explored. The herbs namely wild turmeric (Curcuma aromatica Salisb.) and holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum L.) were used for the study. The pre-treated single jersey cotton knitted fabrics were given finishing treatment with 50%:50% combination herbal extract of wild turmeric and holy basil using pad-dry-cure method. The randomized response surface Box–Behnken design using quadratic model was used for the finishing treatment with process parameters such as combination herbal extract concentration of 1%, 2.5%, and 4%; crosslinking agent concentration of 3%, 5%, and 7%; curing temperature of 80°, 100°, and 120°. The analysis of variance results analysis using Design Expert software shows that the moisture management properties of the treated fabrics are influenced by the finishing process parameters. The study results revealed that the finishing treatment has altered the moisture management properties of the treated fabrics and resulted in excellent accumulative one way transport capability which increased their overall moisture management capability.