Screen Printing of Cotton Fabric with Hydrochromic Paste: Evaluation of Color Uniformity, Reversibility and Fastness Properties

Abstract

Smart textiles are promising for the future of the textile industry, providing natural fibers with attractive and interactive features. Within this context, it is possible to emphasize the chromic materials, as, for example, the hydrochromic, which alter their visual properties (color) through an external stimulus (water). The purpose of this work is to functionalize and characterize cotton knitted fabric with hydrochromic agent studying the reversibility and fastness properties of the print. It was observed that the particles are well dispersed and adhered to the natural fiber surface and did not display significant changes in the color after subsequent washing and rubbing fastness cycles.