Development of Mosquito-Repellent Camouflage Fabric Using Eucalyptus Oil with <i>Moringa oleifera</i> Gum

Abstract

Military personnel are exposed to several harsh conditions and mosquitos in mountains and wild forests. Mosquito-repellent textiles can help them to cope with such conditions. The present research work established a sustainable approach for fabricating microcapsules from Eucalyptus oil, Moringa oleifera, and Arabic gum via a complex coacervation method. Moringa oleifera and Arabic gums were utilized as the outer shell of the microcapsules, whereas the core part was made of Eucalyptus oil in different concentrations. The military camouflage-printed polyester/cotton (PC) blended fabric was coated with the as-prepared microcapsules using the pad–dry–cure technique. The surface morphology of the microcapsules was examined using an optical microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the coated fabric’s mosquito-repellent property was investigated using a specified cage test according to a standard testing protocol. The water absorbency and air permeability of the treated samples were also evaluated in order to learn about the comfort properties. The cage test results revealed that the coated fabric had a good tendency to repel the mosquitoes used in the cage test. In addition, the coated fabric showed significant durability even after several rigorous washing cycles. However, the application of microcapsules to the fabric slightly affected the water absorbency and air permeability of the fabric. This study presents a novel sustainable approach for fabricating microcapsules from the mentioned precursors and their application in the field of textiles, particularly for military purposes.

Keywords

• microcapsules
• Eucalyptus oil
• <i>Moringa oleifera</i> gum
• mosquito repellency
• protective textiles