5715.2:
Nano-scale Applications of TiO2 on Aircraft Textiles to Improve Self-cleaning Properties
Abstract
Lantal Textiles needs to improve the self-cleaning properties of the textiles used in aircrafts they manufacture and sell worldwide. Lantal has about 60% of the world market of the textiles used in seats, curtains and floors of airplanes. But the cleaning of these textiles is expensive and has to be carried out frequently. This feasibility project intents to produce and attach the most suitable TiO2 particles on Lantal textiles. It is expected from the TiO2 incorporated on the surface of the Lantal textiles that a self-cleaning effect will set in due to the semiconductor property of the TiO2 producing oxidative radicals on their surface in the presence of natural light, air (O2), and the air water-vapor (humidity).
The attachment of nano-scale TiO2 particles to the Lantal textile surfaces by five different methods will be tried. These methods involve several ways to attach the semiconductor to fabric surface: chemical bonding of the titania to the textile, electrostatic interaction between the titania and modification of the textile surface. The introduction on the textile surface of active sites by plasma methods or by chemical methods leading to sulfonation of th fabric to further exchange TiO2on the fabric will also be carried out. The self -cleaning properties of the new materials will be evaluated by Lantal Textiles by methods that have to be devised and adapted to the present problem during the course of the project. There is no report in the open literature on this last point.