Development and characterization of pomegranate peel powder and waterborne polyurethane-coated fabrics

In this study, coated fabrics were developed using waterborne polyurethane (WPU) containing pomegranate peel (PoP) powders of varying particle sizes. The objective of this research is to diminish the synthetic polymer content by adopting a sustainable approach through the utilization of food waste and functionalized fabrics by using PoP powders with antibacterial properties. In the initial phase of the study, PoP powders were characterized based on parameters such as particle size, moisture content, water activity, water absorption capacity, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity. Secondly, cotton fabrics were coated with WPU containing PoP powders (10 wt%). While it was observed that the particle size of PoP powders did not make a significant difference in the color and stress-strain values, antibacterial analysis showed that the coatings containing powders with the lowest particle distribution (18.2–81.7 µ, D₅₀: 42.77 µ) resulted in larger inhibition zones. Consequently, functional fabrics with antibacterial properties against both S. aureus (Gram-positive) and P. aeruginosa (Gram-negative) bacteria were composed by incorporating PoP powders as fillers into WPU-coated cotton fabrics.