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Title: ATMOSPHERIC PLASMA-AIDED BIOCIDAL FINISHES FOR NONWOVEN POLYPROPYLENE FABRICS. PART 2: FUNCTIONALITY OF SYNTHESIZED FABRICS

Author
item WAFA, D - NC STATE UNIVERSITY
item Breidt, Frederick
item GAWISH, S - EGYPT NAT. RESEARCH CTR
item MATTHEWS, S - NC STATE UNIVERSITY
item BOURHAM, M - NC STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Journal of Polymer Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/23/2005
Publication Date: 2/5/2007
Citation: Wafa, D.M., Breidt, F., Gawish, S.M., Matthews, S.R., Bourham, M.A. (2007)Atmospheric plasma-aided biocidal finishes for nonwoven polypropylene fabrics. part 2: functionality of synthesized fabrics. Journal of Polymer Science.

Interpretive Summary: This paper is part II of a new method for creating fabrics that have antimicrobial activities. The fabrics were treated in a plasma-generating machine and then exposed to chemicals that kill microorganisms. The process allowed the antimicrobial chemicals to bind to the fabrics. Testing was done to determine how the antimicrobial compounds were attached to the fabrics. We then tested the efficacy of the antimicrobial fabric using laboratory strains of several types of bacteria. We did find a specific reduction in the cell numbers of the bacteria exposed to the fabric, not seen with untreated fabrics. This fabric treatment method may have many applications for preventing disease.

Technical Abstract: Atmospheric plasma-aided graft copolymerization of textile materials provides single or multiple functionality polypropylene (PP) modified fabrics. Biocidal PP are modified ones to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria molds and fungi and insect repelling action. Novel PP biocidal fabrics, synthesized by graft copolymerization using plasma-aided technique (Part I: Synthesis and Characterization) using antibacterial and insect repellent agents have been tested and evaluated and proved to be antimicrobial, insect repellent, and antistatic.