Insect-repellent textiles

Insect-repellent textiles provide an important protection against insect bites and thus the infection of insect-borne diseases and poison. This chapter outlines the categories of insect-repellent materials currently used in terms of natural and synthetic substances and the technologies of synthesis and preparation of insect-repellent agents for textile finishing, such as nanoemulation and nano- and microencapsulation. It also describes various techniques of imparting the repellency onto the textile substrate, which consist of the conventional dip-pad-dry-cure, garment finishing, spray, and rinse cycle in laundry. The insect-repellency and knock-down assessments to determine the efficacy of the treated textile against mosquitos are also described. There are many factors that influence the efficacy of the insect-repellency attributable to the types of insecticidal or repellent substances used, types of preparation techniques used, and types of treatment processes used.