Configuration of a unique antibacterial needle-punched nonwoven fabric from silver impregnated polyester nanocomposite fibres

Abstract

The current study aims to mitigate the problems arising due to leach-out of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) from an antibacterial material developed using silver coating or finishes. Polyester (PET) staple fibres with Ag-NPs firmly integrated within them were used to prepare needle-punched nonwoven fabric. To further enhance the antibacterial efficiency, the nonwoven surface was etched via alkaline hydrolysis such that the Ag-NPs are exposed to the bacterial cell wall. The antibacterial activity of the nonwoven made of PET-Ag-NPs nanocomposite fibres (P/Ag-NFs) against S. aureus and E. coli bacteria was found to be increased after hydrolysis by 4.5% and 6.5%, respectively. The amount of silver leach-out from the developed antibacterial media was 0.01 ppm for 24 h immersion time, which is in compliance with regulations of National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (0.01 mg/m3), as well as that of WHO (0.1 ppm). Moreover, the nonwoven was effective in killing up to 94% and 98% S. aureus and E. coli bacteria, respectively. Hence, the developed nonwoven fabric can safely be used for medical and health care textiles, antibacterial clothing and for the development of dry/wet filtration media.

Face masks to fight against COVID-19 pandemics: A comprehensive review of materials, design, technology and product development

“…144 Thus, the processing techniques should be flexible enough to enable a precise control over relevant parameters. Of late, there has been elaborate research on developing antimicrobial nanoparticle impregnated fibrous webs (nonwovens) via electrospinning, 68,107,144,145 melt-blowing 11,146 and needle-punching 147 techniques for the fabrication of porous fibrous structures with innate biocidal activity. Emphasis is also being given on coating techniques like layer by layer self-assembling, 148,149 sputter coating or plasma sputtering, [150][151][152][153] spray coating, 154,155 etc., so that the biocidal entities do not form an impermeable film on the fabric, but rather reach out to individual fibres of the fabric, such that the porosity and flexibility of the base fabric are not affected adversely.…”

Single-Side Superhydrophobicity in Si3N4-Doped and SiO2-Treated Polypropylene Nonwoven Webs with Antibacterial Activity

“…In general, the approaches to imparting antibacterial activity to nonwovens include surface finishing and blending modification of raw materials. The finishing process is commonly employed to introduce antibacterial agents into fabrics possessing a high strength, such as woven fabrics [ 18 , 19 ], spunlace nonwovens [ 20 , 21 , 22 ], needle-punched nonwovens [ 23 ] and spunbonded nonwovens [ 24 , 25 ]. In contrast with these fabrics, meltblown nonwovens are not suitable for the antibacterial finishing process due to their poor strength [ 26 , 27 , 28 ].…”

In situ deposition of Ag/Zn-MOFs on the surface of non-woven fabrics for effective antibacterial activity

“…[15][16][17][18][19] Especially in the recent decades, great effort has been made to investigate the possibility developing MOFs as promising antibacterial material due to their instinct merits such as large surface area, highly porous structure, biocompatibility, and adjustable function. 4,20 Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) has been widely applied as antibacterial agent, however, the poor recyclability and limited visible light utilization has restricted its practical use. 21 Great efforts have been made to endowing MOFs with enhanced antibacterial property by introducing active groups or particles with MOFs, including in-situ doping, surface modification, and encapsulation of active species.…”

“…3 However, the aggregation of Ag-NPs is an inevitable issue due to their high surface energy, resulting in the thermal instability and decrease in the antibacterial effect of Ag-NPs. 4 Accordingly, various strategies aiming at finding suitable substrates have been proposed, which should meet the requirements of both retaining the original antibacterial activity and keep the well disperse of Ag-NPs.…”