Before 2,000 AD, Indian cottons were considered to be trashy despite being handpicked and being contaminated by wide range of impurities gathered during post-harvest handling till it reaches the spinning mills. The cotton is sold in the market based on its grade. The trash content in the cotton is the predominant parameter to decide the grade and value of the cotton.
Nanotechnology, that has already revolutionized material science, pharma, electronics and industrial chemistry, is now spreading its wings in the fields of agriculture & allied sectors. ICAR-CIRCOT has taken the lead in ICAR system to explore the applications of nanotechnology in agriculture, cotton textiles and composites. ICAR-CIRCOT, Mumbai ventured into Nanotechnology from 2004 onwards to impart novel functional finishes to cotton textiles to impart antibacterial and UV protection properties using silver and zinc oxide nanopares.
The growing importance of quality in international trade is visible from the global appearance of more accredited laboratories in all fields for reliable quality reports, including cotton fibers. The quality assessment of cotton fibers through objective measurement by High volume instrument needs calibration using the Standard Reference Material (SRM), popularly known as ‘Calibration Cotton’.
The global antimicrobial medical textiles market is expected to reach USD 799.7 million by the year 2024, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc®. Rising prevalence of chronic diseases, an upsurge in nosocomial infections worldwide, and growing awareness towards the better healthcare practices fuel the demand for the product over the forecast period.