Abstract
Recently, efforts at development of functional textiles with antibacterial effect have accelerated, the purpose being to provide protection against airborne bio-particles and micro-organisms. Growth of microbes on surface of textile materials can be inhibited by biocidal approach and biostatic approach. This paper describes the development of a healthcare textile with durable antibacterial properties by optimizing the conventional and commercialized antimicrobial agent polybiguanide derivative—poly(hexamethylenebiguanide) (PHMB). Pad-dry-cure method was used to coat PHMB on cotton fabrics. The durability to simulated healthcare laundering of the fabric samples was evaluated in detail. Specifically, effects of detergent and washing cycles were examined. It was found that the optimum finishing condition can impart to the fabrics excellent durability for simulated healthcare washing. The fabric samples showed 100% bactericidal effect after 52 washing cycles, and 104 washings slightly reduced the bactericidal activity. Nevertheless, both simulated healthcare washing and coating treatment were found to have slightly negative influence on the hand feel and tearing strength properties of cotton fabrics.
Highlights
Cotton is a green natural cellulosic fiber available abundantly
Optical photographs and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were performed to observe the change in surface morphology of the fabric samples after coating with PHMB formulation
A sharp and strong absorbance peak at 1550 cm−1 was observed in the spectrum of PHMB, characteristic of imine group
Summary
Cotton is a green natural cellulosic fiber available abundantly. It has been widely used in daily life because of its favorable properties that include high strength, soft handle, affinity to skin, and bio-degradability [1,2]. Due to the morphology and moisture affinity of natural origin, cotton fabrics provide a perfect environment for growth of microorganism on the surface [3]. Nutrients, temperature and pH value, the bacterial growth can be very fast, which may cause some undesirable effects, such as unpleasant odor, reduction of mechanical strength, stains, and discoloration [1,4]. Even mild bacterial growth can lead to rotting and breakdown of the fibers, which may make the fabric unattractive due to the appearance of unwanted pigmentation.
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