Browsing by Author "Melvi Chandy"

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    Characterisation of Silver Deposited Coir Fibres by Magnetron Sputtering
    (2015) Melvi Chandy; Sarma, U.S.; Latha, M.S.; Shreekrishna Kumar, K.
    Silver thin films are extensively used due to their superior optical, electrical and antimicrobial properties. Recent development in the incorporation silver thin films on natural fibers makes it possible to utilize its excellent physical and chemical properties in the field of textiles. Present study focuses on the surface functionalization of natural coir fiber with silver thin film by magnetron sputtering. This will help to widen the use of natural coir fibers. The surface morphology of the coated coir fibers are investigated by employing a scanning electron microscope. The results show that the surface functionalization of silver-coated coir fibers are highly versatile, and it possess excellent protection against ultraviolet radiation, exhibit excellent hydrophobicity (contact angle==105.2°) and good antibacterial effects. This study demonstrates that treatment, which uses silver thin films by magnetron sputtering, is a promising method for achieving multifunctional coir fabrics.
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    Metal Coated Coir Fiber for Smart Textile Applications
    (2010) Melvi Chandy; Latha, M.S.; Shreekrishna Kumar, K.; Sarma, U.S.
    Thermo regulated textiles attracted attention in cold countries for outdoor activities in extreme winter conditions. Temperature regulation of textiles for use in adverse environmental condition can be achieved by integrating heat regulated natural fibers into textile construction. Coir being an abundantly available, cheap and biodegradable natural fiber seems to be a material worthy of investigation. Light weight and insulation ofcoir fiber add to the comfort ofthe wearer in textile application. In this study, coir surface is made conductive by metal coating and temperature regulation is achieved by applying a small voltage. Copper, aluminium and silver metals are used for coating the coir fiber surface. Thin film coating on one side of coir fiber is done by vacuum deposition technique. Temperature regulation of upto 12 degrees is found to be possible by the application of a potential of about 1 Volt. Analysis of variance is used to compare the effect of thickness of coating and type of coating material on heat production with respect to voltage. Metal coating on coir fiber is found to provide a versatile combination of physical, thermal and optical properties and can be SUbjected to textile processing without any problem for the development of smart textiles.