Production of self cleaning fabrics via photocatalytic effect

In this study; the application of self-cleaning fabric with photocatalytic effect was aimed by using TiO2 which is a metal oxide and semiconductor material. According to the literature and market research, titanium dioxide (TiO2) masterbatch was used in the anatase phase with high photocatalytic activity. Masterbatch containing 50% TiO2 was fed to the melt spinning system at different dosages to produce particulate doped polyethylene terephthalate yarn. Following the twisting and weaving steps, the mechanical properties of the yarns were tested and surface and cross-sectional images were examined with the help of optical and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Thermal properties of the produced fibers were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Elemental analysis was performed on the fiber surface by energy-separated X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (ED-XRF). In order to measure self-cleaning activity with photocatalytic effect, different stainers such as tea, coffee, cherry juice, ketchup were exposed to the test conditions such as dark environment, sunlight, and light fastness tester. As a result of the studies carried out, it was observed that the cleaning efficiency of the stains increased with increasing amount of additives and duration of illumination, although not the same rate in each stain.