Composite Warp-Knitted Textile with Wet–Thermal Comfort, Support, and Antimicrobial Activity for Personal Long-Term Healthcare

Abstract

Moisture management materials, which can remove liquid unidirectionally, have excellent potential for long-term healthcare of bedridden patients because they can handle large amounts of body fluids caused by incontinence, sweating, etc. However, their lack of support, thermal management, and antibacterial properties limits their clinical application. Here, a threedimensional thermoplastic polyurethane/warp-knitted spacer fabric/viscose fabric (TWVF) was designed and prepared by coating and needle-punching. TWVF had asymmetrical wettability and interpenetrating fiber pin arrays, which could quickly and unidirectionally drain body fluid away from the skin to keep the skin dry and clean. Meanwhile, the low thermal conductivity of TWVF prevented excessive cooling caused by heat loss of liquid transfer (body temperature was 4.7 °C higher than that with cotton textiles). TWVF exhibited excellent permeability, a low compression modulus (0.03 MPa), and a high compression strength (0.15 MPa), providing sufficient air exchange and suitable support for the body and reducing the risk of pressure injury. Moreover, the incorporated aloin endowed TWVF with excellent antibacterial rates against Staphylococcus aureus (99.61%) and Escherichia coli (98.16%), respectively. This multifunctional textile is simple to prepare and easy to industrialize, providing a reference for the development of functional healthcare materials.