The impact of sodium periodate oxidation and alginate coating on the capillarity of jute fabric

Abstract

This study explores the impact of sodium periodate oxidation time (30 min, 60 min, or 120 min) and alginate coating on the capillarity of jute fabrics. Raw jute fabric exhibits a rapid increase in capillary rise height ( h) over time, reaching 72 mm at 1200 s. Fabrics oxidized for 30, 60, and 120 min show significantly lower h values of 19, 18, and 28 mm at 1200 s, respectively, which can be ascribed to the oxidation process itself. Precisely, oxidation-induced conversion of hydroxyl groups of cellulose (the main constituent of jute fiber) to aldehyde groups contributed to the fabric reduced affinity for water, hence negatively affecting its capillarity. Approximately 47% and 55% lower h values of fabrics oxidized for 30 and 60 min compared to that oxidized for 120 min can be explained by their lower weight loss after oxidation as well as less pronounced liberation of elementary fibers. Oxidized fabrics characterized by low capillarity can be used for the manufacturing of packaging materials, outdoor gear, and protective covers for crops. To expand jute fabric applications in biocarpet engineering, that is, to obtain polysaccharide-based supports, raw and oxidized jute fabrics were treated with a 1% sodium alginate solution. At 1200 s, oxidized fabrics coated with alginate exhibited 4.3–5.8 times higher h values compared to solely oxidized counterparts. The diffusion coefficients of oxidized fabrics coated with alginate increase up to 35% with prolonged oxidation, emphasizing the oxidation impact on alginate binding.