Production of urethane-based micro/nano-size capsules emitting odor by controlled release or mechanical stimuli and textile applications

Thanks to scientific developments, innovative products can now be manufactured in the textile industry. Thanks to microencapsulation techniques, small microcapsules can be produced and applied to fabrics in the textile industry to improve comfort and provide additional properties. Fragrances cannot be used directly in textiles due to their volatile properties. Thanks to microencapsulation techniques, they can be used in textiles and remain effective longer. In this study, microscale capsules based on polyurethane, which can release odors, were prepared for textile materials. The original lavender odor was encapsulated in a polyurethane shell by the interaction of toluene, isophorone and methylene bisphenol diisocyanate with various diols and poliols. The odor capsules were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, particle size analysis, polarized optical microscopy (POM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). At regular intervals, the weight of the odor capsules was monitored and the release time was determined. The average particle size was determined in the range of 15-50 µm, and the specific peaks of the polyurethane -NH, -C=O, and -CN of microparticles were determined in the FT-IR spectroscopy analysis. The capsules were also successfully prepared according to the pictures of SEM. When 100% cotton was applied to woven fabrics by the exhaust method, it was observed that the microcapsules were physically held between the fibers. Fragrance capsules are generally manufactured as a patented product by companies and sold at high prices. It is believed that the results of the study can be applied to any textile material with lower cost and contribute to the textile industry and economy of our country, by the way, fragrance capsules will not be imported at high prices.