Development of biomass-derived functionalized activated carbon-coated and polyaniline-grafted cotton fabric with enhanced ultraviolet resistance

Cotton fabric with enhanced ultraviolet shielding behavior was successfully developed by coating functionalized activated carbon and grafting polyaniline hybrid material through in situ polymerization. Initially, the activated carbon was prepared from bio-mass rice husk and then surface functionalized using suitable silane coupling agent. The optimized sample delivers strong ultraviolet shielding ability with a Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) value of 63.9, which is nearly 20 times higher than that of pristine cotton (UPF = 3.2). Moreover, the same sample shows enhanced tensile strength behavior. The structure and morphological studies are also discussed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy for both pristine cotton and hybrid coated fabrics. The results show that the activated carbon derived from rice husk could be a suitable alternate carbon source for ultraviolet shielding when compared with high-cost carbon derivatives. Thus, the developed material can find good high-performance application with better ultraviolet shielding property.