Sustained release formulation of emulsion and its use for multifunctional cotton fabric

Abstract

Today, essential oil-based formulations are used to resist insect bites in humans. Citronella, eucalyptus and lavender oils are known for their mosquito repellent properties. In the present work, an emulsion of chrysanthemum oil was prepared using a binder. The release rate, emulsion stability, and particle size analysis were carried out. The emulsion was applied onto the cotton fabric using the pad-dry-cure technique. The evaluation of the performance properties of the finished material in terms of aroma rating, mosquito repellency on repeated washing and crease recovery angle, as well as bending length and tensile strength, was carried out. The results indicate that near about 100% mosquito repellency can be retained to an acceptable level of 65-75% even after ten washing cycles. The fragrance of the finished fabric enhanced the attractiveness of such a speciality finished material; hence, this technique has promising potential in developing mosquito repellent curtains and home furnishing fabrics.