Properties of camphor oil/poly (methyl methacrylate) composites and their application on cotton fabrics

Camphor oil/poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) composites were prepared by the miniemulsion polymerization method, and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and thermo-gravimetric analysis. The results indicated that based on the weight of camphor oil/PMMA composites, the amount of 18% camphor oils was encapsulated by the PMMA; the dispersion of the prepared composites showed excellent stability to temperature in the range of 20–60℃. Application properties of camphor oil/PMMA composites, such as sustained release, antibacterial and mosquito repellent performance, were further investigated. The results indicated that the PMMA covering can effectively reduce the release rate of camphor oil. The antibacterial rates for E. coli and S. aureus were 67.21% and 41.59%, respectively, and the “landing time” for the first mosquito was about 144.9 min when the cotton fabrics were coated eight times. The coated cotton fabrics can retain the antibacterial and mosquito repellent performance for a long time, even after multiple washings.