CLIAMS:1. A washable fabric or garment imprinted with a composition comprising activated carbon, fluorocarbon, fluorocarbon extender and polyacrylate binder.
2. The fabric or the garment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fabric is woven in piece form or continuous form and made of 100% poplin cotton.
3. The fabric or the garment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the garment is selected from a group comprising mask, chemical protective gear, surgeon’s gown, isolation gown and medical drape; and wherein the fabric is employed in making articles selected from a group comprising air-filter, solvent recovery device or in instrumental wrap.
4. A composition comprising activated carbon, fluorocarbon, fluorocarbon extender and polyacrylate binder.
5. The fabric or the garment as claimed in claim 1 and the composition as claimed in claim 4, wherein the activated carbon is in concentration ranging from about 200g/l to about 600g/l.
6. The fabric or the garment as claimed in claim 1 and the composition as claimed in claim 4, wherein the fluorocarbon is selected from a group comprising perfluoro octanoic acid, polytetrafluoroethylene and perfluorobutadiene; and wherein the fluorocarbon is in concentration ranging from about 10% to about 15%.
7. The fabric or the garment as claimed in claim 1 and the composition as claimed in claim 4, wherein the fluorocarbon extender is selected from a group of hydrophobic nitrogenous compound comprising 2, 8-dimethyl quinolone or 4, 8-dimethyl quinoline; and wherein the fluorocarbon extender is in concentration ranging from about ¬¬¬¬0.5% to about 1.5%.
8. The fabric or the garment as claimed in claim 1 and the composition as claimed in claim 4, wherein the polyacrylate binder is selected from a group comprising 2-hydroxy methyl methacrylate and 2-hydroxy butyl methacrylate or a combination thereof; and wherein the polyacrylate binder is in concentration ranging from about 5% to about 15%.
9. A process of obtaining a composition comprising activated carbon, fluorocarbon, fluorocarbon extender and polyacrylate binder, said process comprising acts of:
a) mixing the activated carbon with water to obtain mixture 1;
b) adding the fluorocarbon and the fluorocarbon extender to the mixture 1 to obtain mixture 2;
c) drying the mixture 2 to obtain mixture 3; and
d) mixing the mixture 3 with the polyacrylate binder to obtain the composition.
10. A process of obtaining a washable fabric or garment imprinted with a composition comprising activated carbon, fluorocarbon, fluorocarbon extender and polyacrylate binder, said process comprising act of printing the composition onto pre-treated fabric and curing to obtain the washable fabric, and optionally stitching the fabric to obtain the washable garment.
11. The process as claimed in claim 10, wherein the pre-treated fabric is obtained by treating, processing and antimicrobial agent exposure of base fabric.
12. The process as claimed in claim 11, wherein the treating is carried out by agent selected from a group comprising scouring agent, soaping agent and dispersing agent or any combination thereof; at temperature ranging from about 80°C to about 90°C and for time duration ranging from about 30minutes to about 45minutes.
13. The process as claimed in claim 12, wherein the scouring agent is a mixture of surface active agent and organic solvent; wherein the soaping agent is sodium or calcium salts of fatty acids or triglycerides of fatty acids; and wherein the dispersing agent is selected from a group comprising poly oxyethyline octanol, N-ethyltoluene sulfonamide, N-(2-hydroxy propyl) Benzene sulfonamide and 1, 2 cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid or any combination thereof.
14. The process as claimed in claim 13, wherein the scouring agent, the soaping agent and the dispersing agent are each in concentration ranging from about 1g/l to about 3g/l.
15. The process as claimed in claim 11, wherein the processing is carried out by using bio-polishing enzyme selected from a group comprising cellulase and pectinase; and wherein the bio-polishing enzyme is in concentration ranging from about 0.5g/l to about 1.5g/l.
16. The process as claimed in claim 15, wherein the processing is carried out for time period ranging from about 20minutes to about 35minutes, at pH ranging from about 5 to about 6, and at temperature ranging from about 50°C to about 60°C.
17. The process as claimed in claim 11, wherein the antimicrobial agent exposure of the base fabric is carried out using antimicrobial agent selected from a group comprising silver zirconium phosphate, silver complex of poly amidoamine dendrimers and silicon based quaternary ammonium compound or any combination thereof, at temperature ranging from about 25°C to about 30°C, and for time duration ranging from about 20minutes to about 30minutes.

18. The process as claimed in claim 10, wherein the printing is carried out by technique selected from a group comprising blotch printing, doctor blade application, screen printing or rotary printing.
19. The process as claimed in claim 10, wherein the curing is carried out by method selected from a group comprising batch curing, chamber curing, conveyer curing or continuous curing; at temperature ranging from about 155°C to about 165°C; and for time duration ranging from about 5minutes to about 10minutes.
20. The process as claimed in claim 10, wherein the fabric or the garment is washed with hydrophobic silicone selected from a group comprising polyvinyl methyl siloxane and poly di methyl siloxane in concentration ranging from about 15g/l to about 25g/l, at room temperature; and for time duration ranging from about 15minutes to about 20minutes.
21. A method of filtering air, said method comprising act of allowing air to pass through fabric or garment imprinted with a composition comprising activated carbon, fluorocarbon, fluorocarbon extender and polyacrylate binder, wherein the fabric or the garment adsorbs pollutant from the air.
22. A kit for obtaining a washable fabric or garment, said kit comprising activated carbon, fluorocarbon, fluorocarbon extender and polyacrylate binder, along with an instruction manual. ,TagSPECI:TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure relates to a washable fabric or garment imprinted with a composition comprising activated carbon, fluorocarbon, fluorocarbon extender and polyacrylate binder. The present disclosure further relates to a process of obtaining the said composition and a process of obtaining said fabric or garment and a kit thereof. The said fabric or garment is woven, made of 100% cotton and wash durable for up to 50 washes. The garment mentioned is preferably in the form of a mask which also possesses said properties and acts as a filter by adsorbing all pollutants in air, thereby allowing fresh air to the wearer of the mask for inhaling.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
Activated carbon has been used for thousands of years, dating as far back as 1550 BC, to treat medical conditions. Because activated charcoal is so adsorbent, it is often used to treat individuals who have been poisoned, have overdosed on drugs, have intestinal discomfort, and who are suffering from a wide variety of health conditions.

Activated carbons are carbonaceous adsorbents which have chemicals finely distributed on their internal surface. The impregnation optimizes the existing properties of the activated carbon giving a synergism between the chemicals and the carbon. This facilitates the cost-effective removal of certain impurities from gas streams which would be impossible otherwise. For environmental protection, various qualities of impregnated activated carbon are available and have been used for many years in the field of gas purification, civil and military gas protection and catalysis.

Activated carbon is believed to have the ability to help naturally detoxify the body. It is very commonly included as an active ingredient in colon cleansers and other body detox products. It is believed that the activated charcoal will help to pull toxins from the body as it passes through the digestive system, thus energizing and rejuvenating the system.

Activated carbon is the trade name for a carbonaceous adsorbent which is defined as follows.
Activated carbons are non-hazardous, processed, carbonaceous products, having a porous structure and a large internal surface area. These materials can adsorb a wide variety of substances, i.e. they are able to attract molecules to their internal surface, and are therefore called adsorbents. The volume of pores of the activated carbons is generally greater than 0.2 ml/g. The internal surface area is generally greater than 400 m2/g. The width of the pores ranges from 0.3nm to several thousand nm.

Normal activated carbon mask is generally a use and throw kind and it is available only in non-woven category. The disadvantage of such non-woven activated carbon mask is that the fibres in the non-woven structures/masks will enter into the respiratory system when put to use, which is not good for health. Moreover, such activated carbon mask will be saturated after prolonged exposure to atmosphere. The most common component that leads to such saturation of activated carbon is water and sweat which will in-turn render such mask to lose its adsorbing property.

The instant disclosure provides a solution to the aforementioned limitations of existing technologies.

STATEMENT OF THE DISCLOSURE
Accordingly, the present disclosure relates to a washable fabric or garment imprinted with a composition comprising activated carbon, fluorocarbon, fluorocarbon extender and polyacrylate binder; a composition comprising activated carbon, fluorocarbon, fluorocarbon extender and polyacrylate binder; a process of obtaining a composition comprising activated carbon, fluorocarbon, fluorocarbon extender and polyacrylate binder, said process comprising acts of a) mixing the activated carbon with water to obtain mixture 1, b) adding the fluorocarbon and the fluorocarbon extender to the mixture 1 to obtain mixture 2, c) drying the mixture 2 to obtain mixture 3 and d) mixing the mixture 3 with the polyacrylate binder to obtain the composition; a process of obtaining a washable fabric or garment imprinted with a composition comprising activated carbon, fluorocarbon, fluorocarbon extender and polyacrylate binder, said process comprising act of printing the composition onto pre-treated fabric and curing to obtain the washable fabric, and optionally stitching the fabric to obtain the washable garment; a method of filtering air, said method comprising act of allowing air to pass through fabric or garment imprinted with a composition comprising activated carbon, fluorocarbon, fluorocarbon extender and polyacrylate binder, wherein the fabric or the garment adsorbs pollutant from the air; and a kit for obtaining a washable fabric or garment, said kit comprising activated carbon, fluorocarbon, fluorocarbon extender and polyacrylate binder, along with an instruction manual.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING FIGURES
In order that the disclosure may be readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to exemplary embodiments as illustrated with reference to the accompanying figure. The figure together with a detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate the embodiments and explain various principles and advantages, in accordance with the present disclosure wherein:
Figure 1: shows the finished product which is the woven activated carbon mask obtained by using the composition and the process disclosed in the instant disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE
The present disclosure relates to a washable fabric or garment imprinted with a composition comprising activated carbon, fluorocarbon, fluorocarbon extender and polyacrylate binder.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the fabric is woven in piece form or continuous form and made of 100% poplin cotton.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the garment is selected from a group comprising mask, chemical protective gear, surgeon’s gown, isolation gown and medical drape; and wherein the fabric is employed in making articles selected from a group comprising air-filter, solvent recovery device or in instrumental wrap.

The present disclosure further relates to a composition comprising activated carbon, fluorocarbon, fluorocarbon extender and polyacrylate binder.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the activated carbon is in concentration ranging from about 200g/l to about 600g/l.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the fluorocarbon is selected from a group comprising perfluoro octanoic acid, polytetrafluoroethylene and perfluorobutadiene; and wherein the fluorocarbon is in concentration ranging from about 10% to about 15%.

In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the fluorocarbon extender is selected from a group of hydrophobic nitrogenous compound comprising 2, 8-dimethyl quinolone or 4, 8-dimethyl quinoline; and wherein the fluorocarbon extender is in concentration ranging from about ¬¬¬¬0.5% to about 1.5%.

In still another embodiment of the present disclosure, the polyacrylate binder is selected from a group comprising 2-hydroxy methyl methacrylate and 2-hydroxy butyl methacrylate or a combination thereof; and wherein the polyacrylate binder is in concentration ranging from about 5% to about 15%.

The present disclosure further relates to a process of obtaining a composition comprising activated carbon, fluorocarbon, fluorocarbon extender and polyacrylate binder, said process comprising acts of:
a) mixing the activated carbon with water to obtain mixture 1;
b) adding the fluorocarbon and the fluorocarbon extender to the mixture 1 to obtain mixture 2;
c) drying the mixture 2 to obtain mixture 3; and
d) mixing the mixture 3 with the polyacrylate binder to obtain the composition.

The present disclosure further relates to a process of obtaining a washable fabric or garment imprinted with a composition comprising activated carbon, fluorocarbon, fluorocarbon extender and polyacrylate binder, said process comprising act of printing the composition onto pre-treated fabric and curing to obtain the washable fabric, and optionally stitching the fabric to obtain the washable garment.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the pre-treated fabric is obtained by treating, processing and antimicrobial agent exposure of base fabric.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the treating is carried out by agent selected from a group comprising scouring agent, soaping agent and dispersing agent or any combination thereof; at temperature ranging from about 80°C to about 90°C and for time duration ranging from about 30minutes to about 45minutes.

In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the scouring agent is a mixture of surface active agent and organic solvent; the soaping agent is sodium or calcium salts of fatty acids or triglycerides of fatty acids; and the dispersing agent is selected from a group comprising poly oxyethyline octanol, N-ethyltoluene sulfonamide, N-(2-hydroxy propyl) Benzene sulfonamide and 1, 2 cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid or any combination thereof.

In still another embodiment of the present disclosure, the scouring agent, the soaping agent and the dispersing agent are each in concentration ranging from about 1g/l to about 3g/l.

In still another embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing is carried out by using bio-polishing enzyme selected from a group comprising cellulase and pectinase; and wherein the bio-polishing enzyme is in concentration ranging from about 0.5g/l to about 1.5g/l.

In still another embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing is carried out for time period ranging from about 20minutes to about 35minutes, at pH ranging from about 5 to about 6, and at temperature ranging from about 50°C to about 60°C.

In still another embodiment of the present disclosure, the antimicrobial agent exposure of the base fabric is carried out using antimicrobial agent selected from a group comprising silver zirconium phosphate, silver complex of poly amidoamine dendrimers and silicon based quaternary ammonium compound or any combination thereof, at temperature ranging from about 25°C to about 30°C, and for time duration ranging from about 20minutes to about 30minutes.

In still another embodiment of the present disclosure, the printing is carried out by technique selected from a group comprising blotch printing, doctor blade application, screen printing or rotary printing.

In still another embodiment of the present disclosure, the curing is carried out by method selected from a group comprising batch curing, chamber curing, conveyer curing or continuous curing; at temperature ranging from about 155°C to about 165°C; and for time duration ranging from about 5minutes to about 10minutes.

In still another embodiment of the present disclosure, the fabric or the garment is washed with hydrophobic silicone selected from a group comprising polyvinyl methyl siloxane and poly di methyl siloxane in concentration ranging from about 15g/l to about 25g/l, at room temperature; and for time duration ranging from about 15minutes to about 20minutes.

The present disclosure further relates to a method of filtering air, said method comprising act of allowing air to pass through fabric or garment imprinted with a composition comprising activated carbon, fluorocarbon, fluorocarbon extender and polyacrylate binder, wherein the fabric or the garment adsorbs pollutant from the air.

The present disclosure further relates to a kit for obtaining a washable fabric or garment, said kit comprising activated carbon, fluorocarbon, fluorocarbon extender and polyacrylate binder, along with an instruction manual.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the activated carbon used is obtained from saw dust carbon.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, chemical grafting of activated carbon is carried out by using fluorocarbon and fluorocarbon extender, which would render the activated carbon unsaturable. The side walls of activated carbon will thus repel water/sweat which will prevent moisture condensation on activated carbon, which would otherwise inhibit its adsorption ability. Because of using a fluorocarbon extender and binder as the components in the preparation of the activated carbon fabric or garment, said fabric or garment would thereafter become wash durable.

In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the fabric or garment of the instant invention is wash durable up to 50 home laundering/washes. Home laundering or wash is carried out as per AATCC -135 at 40°C for 45 min/cycle, taking standard reference detergent without optical brightener (WOB) from AATCC.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the garment selected from a group comprising chemical protective gear, surgeon’s gown, isolation gown and medical drape; and the fabric employed in making articles selected from a group comprising air-filter, solvent recovery device or in instrumental wrap, would come under the ambit of the instant invention and said fabric or the garment would essentially possess the properties (adsorption properties and antimicrobial property) or results similar to that of the mask as mentioned in Examples 4 and 5 respectively. As these garments or articles would essentially employ the same or similar fabric used in making the mask, the garments or the articles are to be construed to have the same properties as of the mask.

In still another embodiment of the present disclosure, the process of obtaining the activated carbon mask comprises the following detailed steps of fabric preparation, wherein the fabric base used is poplin cotton pure finish fabric (with no finish chemical being used). The base fabric further used has count and construction as follows: 40’s* 40’s and 96*54. 40’s* 40’s means that the count of yarn used is 40’s i.e 840*40 yds is having weight of about 453.6gms. 96*54 means that 96 threads are present in one inch for warp and 54 threads are present in one inch of weft. The said count and construction facilitates the finished product/garment as in the instant invention to possess air-permeability/breathability by having loose construction. The fabric should be of a pure finish. There should not be any hydrophobic component or silicon present in the finish. Otherwise the absorbency of the fabric will be poor due to the presence of such hydrophobic material.

In still another embodiment of the present disclosure, to make the fabric devoid of such hydrophobic material, the base fabric is pre-treated as follows, wherein by way of exemplification, about 2 meters of the base fabric is made into a tubular form and exposed to scouring, dispersing and soaping to remove any oily and wax particle from the base fabric. The fabric so obtained is made highly absorbent by treating the fabric with scouring agents not limiting to mixture of surface active agent and organic solvent such as mixture of poly glycol ether and carbon tetrachloride , dispersing agents not limiting to poly oxyethyline octanol, N-ethyltoluene sulfonamide, N-(2-hydroxy propyl) Benzene sulfonamide or 1,2 cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid and soaping agents not limiting to sodium or calcium salts of fatty acids or triglycerides of fatty acids such as alkyl benzene sulphonate, poly oxyethylene alkyl aryl ether or poly oxyethylene alkyl ether.

In still another embodiment of the present disclosure, the concentration of scouring, dispersing and soaping agents used are in the range of about 1-3 g/l, preferably 1.5 g/l. Other conditions for pre-treatment are carrying out the said process for about 30-45 min at temperature ranging from about 80°C to about 90°C.

In still another embodiment of the present disclosure, function of scouring, dispersing and soaping agent is to clean the base fabric. Particularly, the scouring agent is used to remove wax and other impurities of the base fabric, the soaping agent is used to remove the oily impurities of the base fabric and the dispersing agent is responsible for dispersing all these impurities so that they are not stuck on the surface of the base fabric.

In still another embodiment of the present disclosure, to remove hairiness, the fabric is processed with bio-polishing enzyme for about 20minutes to about 35 minutes, and at about pH 5 to about 6, preferably at pH 5.5, and at temperature of about 50°C to about 60°C, preferably at 55°C. Bio-polishing enzyme used is cellulase or pectinase at concentration ranging from about 0.5 g/l to about 1.5 g/l. This step is followed by one round of hot water (60°C-70 °C) wash followed by a round of cold water (25°C-30°C degree) wash. After the step of water wash, the fabric is treated with or exposed to a silver based antimicrobial agent not limiting to silver zirconium phosphate, silver complex of poly amidoamine dendrimers and silicon based quaternary ammonium compound at concentration ranging from about 40g/l to about 70g/l, for a time period ranging from about 20 minutes to about 30 minutes and at a temperature ranging from about 25°C to about 30°C. This step of fabric treatment is carried out to provide the fabric with antimicrobial properties i.e: once the base fabric is so treated, it will not allow the microbes to pass through the fabric.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, to make activated carbon unsaturable the following steps of chemical preparation are carried out, wherein by way of exemplification, about 90g to about 140 g, preferably 100g of activated carbon is taken in a glass beaker and impregnated in water (about 200ml to about 250ml) and stirred for better mixing. The water will thus occupy the vacant porous space of activated carbon.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a solution of fluorocarbon (about 10% to about 15%, preferably 12% of the weight of carbon) and fluorocarbon extender (about 0.5% to about 1.5% of total fluorocarbon added) not limiting to hydrophobic nitrogenous compound are added into the glass beaker of activated carbon and water emulsion. This enables the fluorocarbon along with fluorocarbon extender to fix with the side wall of activated carbon wall since the porous area is covered by the water molecules.

In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the fluorocarbon is selected from a group comprising perfluoro octanic acid, polytetrafluoroethylene or perfluorobutadiene and the fluorocarbon extender is selected from a group comprising 2, 8-dimethyl quinoline or 4, 8-dimethyl quinoline.

In still another embodiment of the present disclosure, the obtained mixture is dried in a heater or induction heater at temperature ranging from about 150°C to about 200°C.

In still another embodiment of the present disclosure, the prepared activated carbon mixture is mixed with approximately 5-15% of the weight of carbon poly-acrylate binder to make a printing paste. Or, alternately about 7g to about 15g of the poly-acrylate binder is used for every 100g of treated carbon/modified activated carbon.

In still another embodiment of the present disclosure, the mixing of the modified activated carbon along with the binder is carried out by stirring at room temperature at about 25°C to about 30°C. Viscosity of this chemical is about 10,000cPs to about 12,000cPs at room temperature.

In still another embodiment of the present disclosure, the poly-acrylate binder is selected from a group comprising 2-hydroxy methyl methacrylate and 2-hydroxy butyl methacrylate or a combination thereof.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a further step of printing is carried out, wherein printing of the obtained printing paste (chemical) over the surface of the pre-treated RFD (Ready for dyeing) cotton fabric is done so that reverse side of the fabric is free of the chemicals.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the printing is preferably blotch printing.
In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, for this step of blotch printing, plain screen (without design) made of mesh wire is used. For bulk fabric, Doctor blade technique is used to blotch the fabric.

In still another embodiment of the present disclosure, the printing is carried out by techniques selected from a group comprising blotch printing, doctor blade application, screen printing or rotary printing.

In still another embodiment of the present disclosure, the plain screen is fitted on the pre-treated fabric and thereafter the prepared chemical mixture/printing paste is poured onto the screen and by rubber Blade the chemical is sprayed all over the screen with pressure ranging from about 35N/cm2 to about 55N/cm2, such that the chemical is transferred on the fabric surface.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the fabric after being printed, preferably blotch printed is cured by a curing step at temperature ranging from about 155°C to about 165°C and for time duration ranging from about 5min to about 10min. Principally, curing is a process where the fabric/garment is exposed to temperature. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, curing is carried out by methods selected from a group comprising batch curing, chamber curing, conveyor curing or continuous curing.

In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, from the printed, preferably blotch printed fabric prepared as above, a garment is prepared as per requirement. Size and shape of the garment can also be varied as per requirement. Optionally, the fabric or garment is also treated with a final washing step with hydrophobic silicones selected from a group comprising polyvinylmethylsiloxane and polydimethylsiloxane or a combination thereof, to get soft handle, without hampering the adsorption efficiency of the fabric or garment. Hydrophilic silicones are employed in concentration ranging from about 15g/l to about 25 g/l, at room temperature and for a time period ranging from about 15min to about 20 min. The fabric or garment so prepared using the fabric can be useful in making articles not limited to air filters, solvent recovery devices, chemical protective gear, surgeon’s gown, medical drapes, isolation gowns, instrumental wraps, respiratory masks etc.

In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, from the printed, preferably blotch printed fabric prepared as above, a single layer face mask is prepared by stitching. The shape of the mask can be decided as per the convenience of the user. Optionally, the mask is also treated with a final washing step with hydrophobic silicones to get soft handle.

Advantageous features of the fabric/garment, preferably mask of the instant disclosure are as follows:
• It is made out of 100% cotton poplin, and therefore, comfortable.
• It is wash durable and retains its adsorption efficiency to at least 50 washes.
• It also possesses antimicrobial property/effect and possesses said effect to about 50 washes.
• The said mask is breathable or air-permeable.
The air permeability of a fabric is a measure of how well it allows the passage of air through it. The ease or otherwise passage of air is of importance for a number of fabric end uses not limiting to industrial filters, tents, sail cloths, , shirtings etc.

The air permeability testing for the fabric or garment of the present invention is carried out and the results are tabulated as in Table 1 below.
Table 1:
AIR PERMEABILITY TEST

Sample description Activated carbon face mask
Test method Minimum value(cfm) Maximum value(cfm) Average value
ASTMD737:04(2008) 16.5 23.7 20.1

Note: cfm = cubic feet of air per minute

• It is light weight since it is made of single layer of fabric and as less constructed fabric is chosen.
• It is cost effective.

A more complete understanding can be obtained by reference to the following specific examples, which are provided for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.

EXAMPLES
Example 1:
Fabric preparation: 100% pure poplin cotton fabric (either in piece form of continuous form) is taken and treated with 1.5 g/l mixture of poly glycol ether and carbon tetrachloride, 1.5 g/l of alkyl benzene sulphonate and 1.5 g/l of N-ethyltoluene sulfonamide for 30min at 85°C. The fabric so obtained is processed by treating with 0.5 g/l of cellulaseat pH 5.5 and at 55°C for a period of 25min. This treated fabric is exposed to a round of hot wash at temperature of about 65°C followed by a round of cold wash at temperature of about 27°C to obtain the washed fabric. The washed fabric is thereafter treated with 55g/l of silver zirconium phosphate for 25minutes at 25°C, followed by tumble drying.

Chemical preparation: 100g of activated carbon is taken in a beaker and impregnated with 220ml of water and stirred. To this mixture, 12% of perfluoro octanoic acid is added, followed by addition of 1% of 2, 8 dimethyl quinoline. Thereafter, the obtained mixture is dried in an induction heater at 175°C. To the obtained mixture, 10% of 2-hydroxy methyl methacrylate is added and stirred at 27°C to make a printing paste having viscosity of 11,000 cPs.

Printing: The obtained printing paste (composition) is poured onto a plain screen which is fitted onto the pre-treated fabric. Using a rubber blade technique, the chemical is sprayed onto the screen with a pressure of 40N/cm2. The obtained fabric is thereafter cured at 160°C for 7min.

Preparation of garment (mask): The fabric so obtained is stitched together to form a mask as per the requirement of the user. The size, shape etc can be varied as per requirement. The mask so obtained is washed with ¬¬¬¬¬20g/l of polyvinyl methyl siloxane at room temperature for 17min, to obtain the final garment (mask).

Example 2:
Fabric preparation: 100% pure poplin cotton fabric (either in piece form or continuous form) is taken and treated with 1 g/l mixture of poly glycol ether and carbon tetrachloride, 1g/l of alkyl benzene sulphonate and 1g/l of N-(2-hydroxy propyl) Benzene sulfonamide for 30min at 80°C. The fabric so obtained is processed by treating with 1.5 g/l of cellulase at pH 5 and at 50°C for a period of 20min. This treated fabric is exposed to a round of hot wash at temperature of about 60°C followed by a round of cold wash at temperature of about 25°C to obtain the washed fabric. The washed fabric is thereafter treated with 40g/l of silver zirconium phosphate for 20minutes at 30°C, followed by line drying.

Chemical preparation: 90g of activated carbon is taken in a beaker and impregnated with 200ml of water and stirred. To this mixture, 10% of polytetrafluoroethylene is added, followed by addition of 0.5% of 4, 8-dimethyl quinoline. Thereafter, the obtained mixture is dried in an induction heater at 150°C. To the obtained mixture, 10% of 2-hydroxy methyl methacrylate and 2-hydroxy butyl methacrylate is added and stirred at 27°C to make a printing paste having viscosity of 11,000 cPs.

Blotch printing: The obtained printing paste (chemical) is poured onto a plain screen which is
fitted onto the pre-treated fabric. Using the blotch printing technique, the chemical is printed onto the screen with a pressure of 35N/cm2. The obtained fabric is thereafter cured at 155°C for 5min.

Preparation of garment (surgeon’s gown): The fabric so obtained is stitched together to form a surgeon’s gown as per the requirement of the user. The size, shape etc can be varied as per requirement. The gown so obtained is washed with ¬¬¬¬¬15g/l of polyvinyl methyl siloxane and poly di-methyl siloxane, at room temperature for 15min, to obtain the final garment (gown).

Example 3:
Fabric preparation: 100% pure poplin cotton fabric (either in piece form of continuous form) is taken and treated with 3g/l mixture of poly glycol ether and carbon tetrachloride, 3g/l of alkyl benzene sulphonate and 3g/l of 1, 2-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid and N-ethyltoluene sulfonamide for 45min at 90°C. The fabric so obtained is processed by treating with 1.25 g/l of pectinase at pH 6 and at 60°C for a period of 35min. This treated fabric is exposed to a round of hot wash at temperature of about 70°C followed by a round of cold wash at temperature of about 30°C to obtain the washed fabric. The washed fabric is thereafter treated with 70g/l of silver zirconium phosphate for 30minutes at 27°C, followed by tumble drying.

Chemical preparation: 140g of activated carbon is taken in a beaker and impregnated with 250ml of water and stirred. To this mixture, 15% of polytetrafluoroethylene is added, followed by adding 0.5% of 4, 8-dimethyl quinoline. Thereafter, the obtained mixture is dried in an induction heater at 200°C. To the obtained mixture, 10% of 2-hydroxy butyl methacrylate is added and stirred at 30°C to make a printing paste having viscosity of 12,000 cPs.

Printing: The obtained printing paste (chemical) is poured onto a plain screen which is
fitted onto the pre-treated fabric. Using the screen printing technique, the chemical is applied onto the screen with a pressure of 55N/cm2. The obtained fabric is thereafter cured at 165°C for 10min.

Preparation of garment (mask): The fabric so obtained is stitched together to form a mask as per the requirement of the user. The size, shape etc can be varied as per requirement. The mask so obtained is washed with ¬¬¬¬¬25g/l of poly di-methyl siloxane, at room temperature for 20min, to obtain the final garment (mask).

Example 4:
Test results for adsorption property:
After making the activated carbon mask as per the process steps as above, testing of the mask for gases such as benzene and iodine is carried out to check for the adsorption property of the mask. The following are the results as tabulated in Table 2 below.

Table 2:
Surface area and Adsorption property Sample A(Unwashed) Sample A (after 10 washes) Sample A (after 50 washes)
Specific surface area 875m2/gm 900m2/gm 900m2/gm
Benzene Adsorption value (m2/Gm) 1150 1200 1250
Iodine Adsorption value (wt%) 1360 1400 1350

Sample A is an activated carbon mask obtained by the process and composition as disclosed above.

Example 5:
Test results for antimicrobial property/effect:
After making the activated carbon mask as per the process steps as above, testing of the mask for antimicrobial effect is carried out to check for the antimicrobial effect of the mask. The following are the results as tabulated in Table 3 below.

Table 3:
Method employed Sample A (unwashed) Sample A (after 50 washes)
Antimicrobial testing ASTM E 2149-1 99.09% 70.08%

Sample A is an activated carbon mask obtained by the process and composition as disclosed above.

All test results show excellent test value of activated carbon (washed and unwashed samples) for its adsorption efficiency and antimicrobial property/effect. The test results establish that the adsorption efficiency of the activated carbon mask is retained and the said mask can withstand up to 50 washes/home laundering. Similarly, the test results also establish that the activated carbon mask obtained by the process disclosed in the instant invention possesses antimicrobial property/effect.