polymers Article Coating of ZnO Nanoparticle on Cotton Fabric to Create a Functional Textile with Enhanced Mechanical Properties Imana Shahrin Tania 1,2, * and Mohammad Ali 1, *   Citation: Tania, I.S.; Ali, M. Coating of ZnO Nanoparticle on Cotton Fabric to Create a Functional Textile with Enhanced Mechanical Properties. Polymers 2021, 13, 2701. https:// doi.org/10.3390/polym13162701 Academic Editor: Kyung-Wha Oh Received: 18 June 2021 Accepted: 18 July 2021 Published: 13 August 2021 Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affil- iations. Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). 1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET), Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh 2 Department of Wet Process Engineering, Bangladesh University of Textiles (BUTEX), Dhaka 1208, Bangladesh * Correspondence: imana@butex.edu.bd (I.S.T.); mali@me.buet.ac.bd (M.A.) Abstract: The goal of this research is to develop a functional textile with better mechanical properties. Therefore, nano ZnO is synthesized, characterized, and applied to cotton fabric by mechanical thermo-fixation techniques. The synthesized nanoparticles are characterized by SEM and XRD analysis. The ZnO nanoparticle alone, ZnO nanoparticle with a binder, and ZnO with a binder and wax emulsion are then applied on cotton woven fabrics using three different recipes. The surface morphology of the treated fabric is studied using SEM and EDS. Antimicrobial activity, UV protection property, and crease resistance are all tested for their functional characteristics. In addition, all vital mechanical characteristics are assessed. The results suggest that using only nano ZnO or nano ZnO with a binder enhances functional features while deteriorating mechanical capabilities. Nano ZnO treatment with the third recipe, which includes the addition of an emulsion, on the other hand, significantly enhances mechanical and functional characteristics. Consequently, this study provides information to optimize the confidence of textile researchers and producers in using nano ZnO and understanding its features in key functional fabrics. Keywords: ZnO nanoparticles; binder; mechanical properties; polyethylene wax emulsion; cot- ton fabric 1. Introduction Nanoscience and nanotechnology is a rapidly evolving interdisciplinary field that is being hailed as a new industrial revolution for the textile industry [1,2]. According to the national nanotechnology initiative (NNI), nanotechnology is characterized as using structures with at least one dimension of nanometer-scale for the construction of materials, devices, or systems with novel or significantly improved properties due to their nano- sizes [3,4]. The chemical and physical properties of a material change from the bulk to the nanometer scale. Therefore, a nanoparticle shows more reactivity and some other unique properties because of its high surface area to its volume ratio [5,6]. Nanotechnology is being more widely used as a result of its enormous economic potential [7]. The textile sector is also advancing by applying the numerous benefits of nanoparticles. Moreover, the consumer demand for long-lasting and sustainable practical clothing has opened the door for nanomaterials to be used in textiles [1]. The specific benefits of different nanopar- ticles are used in the textile field to manufacture advanced textiles in the functional and clothing sections. Several studies are being conducted to develop multifunctional textile materials that are coated with different nanoparticles. Nanoparticles such as silver (Ag), zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ), and silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) have been used by researchers to impart functional property and meet the demand of modern markets [8–10]. For instance, a textile with high antibacterial activity was produced by utilizing the po- tentiality of silver nanoparticles [11–13]. More functional properties, such as ultraviolet protection, stain release, and antifungal activity, were achieved using TiO 2 nanoparticles on textile fabric [14,15]. Other critical studies have been carried out to obtain multifunctional Polymers 2021, 13, 2701. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13162701 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers