Nanocomposite formation for natural fibers with preserving their natural hierarchical structure has rarely been successful. Here, we filled silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) inside brown cotton fiber while preserving its naturally occurring multilayered structure and examined the changes in their thermal properties. With the use of naturally present condensed tannins, which are responsible for the color of brown cotton, as a reducing agent, Ag NP-filled brown cotton fiber (diameter of about 28 nm, weight fraction of 12,500 mg/kg) was produced by a one-step process without the need of any external agents. A nonwoven fabric fabricated using Ag NP-filled brown cotton fiber effectively transferred heat, lowering the thermal decomposition temperature for cellulose under both nitrogen and air environments. In an air environment, the insertion of Ag NPs increased the activation energy for the thermal decomposition of the brown cotton and promoted the heat release during combustion. Ag NPs lowered the thermal effusivity of the fabric, inducing the fabric to feel warmer than the control brown cotton. Ag NP-filled brown cotton was more effectively heated to higher temperatures than control brown cotton under the same heating treatments.

Thermal properties of silver nanoparticle-filled brown cotton fiber

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