Omnipresent colonization of material surfaces, especially by bacteria, is an undesired occurrence in the technical sector as well as in everyday life and can be life-threatening in the clinical area. In the case of used clothing and other fabrics, bacterial colonization causes unpleasant odors or infections. In recent years, mainly technical textiles are equipped with antibacterial properties, but nowadays the growing awareness of health and hygiene increases the demand for antibacterial materials in a wide range of applications including medicine, medical care, protective clothing, and household as well as sport and leisure time. The most frequently used approach to prepare antibacterial polymer is to include various organic or inorganic substances, such as tea extract, chitosan, copper, silver, zinc, etc. in polymer matrixes. Nanoparticles of ZnO are being used industrially for modifications to polymers. A common feature is its antibacterial activity. The antibacterial activity of it has been demonstrated against human pathogenic bacteria, mainly E.Coli and S.aureus.
Antibacterial textiles are used where moisture and microbes meet. They are used in a variety of applications including healthcare; medical devices; sportswear; food packaging; storage; thermal and mechanical protection; automotive textiles; heating, ventilation and air conditioning; air filters; and water purification systems. They are also used to protect healthcare personnel with functional clothing as well as fabrics all around the home, including socks, mattresses, baby diapers and coverings.
This product is known as antibacterial polyamide fiber containing ZnO nanoparticles. It includes 0.174 w. % of ZnO and 0.0003 wt. % of Ag.
According to ASTM D2256 standard test, mechanical properties of the product remain almost constant after adding nanoparticles, see details in the below table.
| Tensile Strength (CN/tex) | Elongation (%) | Applied Force(CN) | Denier | Mechanical Features |
| 30.04 | 62.6 | 284 | 85 | Control Sample |
| 37.50 | 68.5 | 347 | 83 | Nano Sample |
Tex= 1gr/10000 m (fiber)
In nano-scale, ZnO particles produce the reactive oxygen species more than ZnO bulk and so higher antibacterial activity appears in ZnO nanoparticles.
It shows high antibacterial activity according to INSO 11070 (Textiles- Determination of antibacterial activity of textile products). The following table clarifies how powerful against E.Coli and S.aureus bacteria it is.
| Antibacterial Activity | |
| 2 | Acceptable standard level |
| 0 | Control sample |
| 2 | Nano Sample (E.coli) |
| 2.1 | Nano Sample (S.aureus) |
Antibacterial activity is an indicator of the product ability to eliminate bacteria. It is obtained by comparison of bacteria number present on control and nanometric samples after 24 hours’ exposure. According to standard, When the antibacterial activity of the product is between 2 and 3, the effectiveness is good. If antibacterial activity is greater than 3, the effectiveness is intense and strong.
