www.tjprc.org editor@tjprc.org A STUDY ON THE ANTI-BACTERIAL PROPERTY OF ESSENTIAL OILS AND METAL OXIDES IN DENIM GARMENTS D. VIJAYALAKSHMI 1 & T. RAMACHANDRAN 2 1 Head of the Department, Department of Apparel & Fashion Technology, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India 2 Principal, Karpagam Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu India ABSTRACT This research aims to analyse the anti-bacterial properties of essential oils (rose oil and citrus oil) and metal oxides (titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) in denim garments. The fabric selected for the research was 2/1 Right Hand Twill cotton denim fabric. The selected fabric was made into prototype garments and subjected to pre treatments. Subsequently the garments were treated with agents like essential oils (rose oil and citrus oil) and metal oxides (titanium di oxide and Zinc oxide) by two different methods – direct exhaustion and micro encapsulation methods. The garments were tested for the efficacy of anti-bacterial property qualitatively by agar diffusion method. The results have proven very good inhibition against the bacteria in conjunction with a sweet fragrance in case of essential oils. KEYWORDS: Anti-Bacterial Finish, Denim, Enzyme Washing and Essential Oils INTRODUCTION “Denim is one of the world’s oldest fabrics, yet it remains eternally young”. The word denim is an Americanization of the French name "serge de Nimes," a fabric which originated in Nimes, France during the middle ages. "Denim is ever fashionable fabric that is both fashion and performance driven". The inherent properties of the textile fibers provide room for the growth of micro-organisms [1]. The increasing awareness for hygienic lifestyle, effects of global warming are raising necessity and expectation in consumers for a wide range of textile products finished with antimicrobial properties, UV protection, stain release etc. [2, 3]. Inorganic materials such as metal and metal oxides have attracted lots of attention over the past decade due to their ability to withstand harsh process conditions [4, 5]. Of the inorganic materials, metal oxides such as TiO 2 , ZnO, MgO and CaO are of particular interest as they are not only stable under harsh process conditions but also generally regarded as safe materials to human beings and animals [6]. The natural oils are widely used in the industry of toiletries, cosmetics, perfumes etc. Recently the application of essential oils in textiles has been increasing as it imparts a pleasant, new-clothing odor which can mask unpleasant odors and is similar in action to a deodorant. The scents of lavender, rose, citrus or vanilla were encapsulated into fabrics which proved a good way to meet important psychological and emotional needs [7]. METHODOLOGY The 2/1 Right hand twill denim fabric has been selected for this research. The denim fabric is cut and made into simple sleeveless denim tops, since denim processing is done at the garment stage. Three mediums were selected for inhibiting anti-bacterial effect in denim like essential oils (combination of rose and citrus oils), TiO 2 and third one is ZnO. International Journal of Textile and Fashion Technology (IJTFT) ISSN(P): 2250-2378; ISSN(E): 2319-4510 Vol. 5, Issue 1, Feb 2015, 49-54 © TJPRC Pvt. Ltd.