The microencapsulation of some antifungal agents and their applications to textiles

Finishing is the last wet applications of textiles. For that reason this step provides theconsumers? demands such as fire retardant, water repellant, fragrance etc. It is importantthat these finishing effects must be saved in an extended period of end-uses.Microencapsulation is an important tool for saving of functional finishing effects in anextended period. Especially to need peculiarities such as controlled release etc. it seemsunrivalled. Microencapsulation has application areas in other wet applications such asdyeing and printing fields of textiles. Washing and using conditions limit usage life offinishing agents. These agents are protected by a shell, which is achieved bymicroencapsulation. Thus microencapsulation is important in applications of agents thatare influenced by washing easily. Although microencapsulation can be achieved byusing many methods, choosing of microencapsulation methods are influenced byproperties of entrapped material and shell polymer.The aim of this study is microencapsulation of ketoconazole and terbinafineantifungal pharmaceutical agents and their applications to the textiles. Antifungalpharmaceutical agents were microencapsulated by melamine-formaldehyde resin andformed inclusion complexes with cyclodextrin derivatives. The preparations werecharacterized by differential scanning calorimeter, FT-IR (Fourier transformationinfraredspectroscopy), X-ray diffractometer, particle size analyze and scanning electronmicroscope. The preparations were applied to the cotton fabric. The fabrics, whichmicrocapsules were applied, were performed washing resistance test. The strength offabrics to the washing fastness was analyzed by scanning electron microscope andCHNS elemental analyzer. Antifungal properties of washed and unwashed fabrics wereevaluated by antifungal tests.