Functional Finishing of Polyester Fabric With Polystyrene-acrylic/zno Nanocomposite for Effective Dyes Filtration

Abstract Organic dyes such as Methyl Orange (MO) and Methylene Blue (MB) are widely used in different industries, becoming one of the leading emerging water contaminants. It is urgent to develop the most suitable materials for effective elimination of the dyes as they are non-biodegradable and are not removed efficiently by the traditional treatment methods. The present work applied polystyrene-acrylic/ZnO nanocomposite on the polyester surface by blade coating and one-bath pad methods. Features of surface chemical modifications were determined by FTIR, SEM analysis, WCA, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms. The functionalised layer can create unprecedented function of filter textile material depending on the way of treatment. The possibility of using such fabrics as filters was explored for MO and MB in the concentration of 100 ppm. Water purification occurred by 60% from methylene blue and 40% from methylene orange flowing through the padded polyester filter and the covered polyester filter for 2 min, respectively. Moreover, it was shown that a colourless reduced form of MB – leuco-methylene blue (LMB) could be created. The functionalised layer of the developed filters through hydrogen bonding between the –OH groups of styrene-acrylic molecules and the –N(CH3)2 groups on LMB can stabilise LMB.