Optical properties of textile materials added with UV protective biomaterials

Scientific reports around the world indicate that solar radiation has increased its intensity and consequently its UV radiation, making it necessary to improve protective materials against this radiation. Textiles can be used as a protective material against the UV radiation, and one way to increase their UV protection capacity could be by adding biomaterials with optical absorption in the UV region. In the present study, flavonoids, natural pigments absorbing UV radiation, were extracted from corn seeds by using two methods (maceration and microwave oven assisted). The extracted flavonoids as well as a commercial protector of UV-B radiation were added to a cotton textile and then exposed to different UV-B radiation times (0 min, 30 min and 60 min). The optical absorption spectra of flavonoids and textile materials were obtained by photoacoustic spectroscopy. These spectra showed differences, observing that the textile added with commercial protector was degraded with the exposition of UV radiation; meanwhile in the case of the textile added with flavonoids increased its UV protection.