Antimicrobial property and water-triggered release characteristics of zinc sulphate-polyvinyl acetate adhesive blend

Abstract

Water-triggered antimicrobial blends are beneficial in inhibiting the growth of microorganisms in moist environment. In this study, zinc sulfate polyvinyl acetate blend was fabricated by mixing polyvinyl acetate adhesive to zinc sulfate solution. Zinc sulfate served as the antimicrobial component while polyvinyl acetate adhesive served as the binder and water soluble component. White and translucent blends are produced in the study. The results of Disc Diffusion method showed that the zinc sulfate polyvinyl acetate blend has an antimicrobial property against Escherichia coli. Conductivity measurements show that the conductivity increases through time due to the release of zinc ions in water. Results show that the sample with higher amount of zinc sulfate solution has higher saturation conductivity and longer saturation time. Lastly, color analysis shows that the transmittance of the samples decreases as the amount of ZnSO4 solution added in the blend increases.