Antibacterial Finishing of Cotton Bed Sheets using Olive Leaves Extract

Abstract

The main goal of this project consisted of the conceptualization and development of a product related to the olive tree chemical features to monetize the wastes of the olive fruit exploitation. The most abundant by-product of the olive fruit harvest is the olive leaves, used as the raw material in this project. By following the steps of Chemical Product Design, it was decided to pursue the idea of creating antibacterial cotton bed sheets impregnated with olive leaves extract, mainly composed of oleuropein. The production process includes a pre-treatment of the olive leaves, oleuropein extraction, and supercritical impregnation. The estimated amount of leaves required is 39 g/m2 of cotton, considering a cotton fabric with 115 GSM.