Improved antimicrobial activity of polypropylene and cotton nonwoven fabrics by surface treatment and modification with chitosan

• Published in: Journal of applied polymer science Vol. 108; no. 4; pp. 2290 - 2296
• Main Authors: Abdou, Entsar S, Elkholy, Said S, Elsabee, Maher Z, Mohamed, Eweis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 15.05.2008; Wiley
• Subjects: Alternaria solani; antimicrobial activity; Applied sciences; chitosan; Clavibacter michiganensis; Exact sciences and technology; Fibers and threads; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Fusarium oxysporum; nonwoven polypropylene and cotton fabrics; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Pseudomonas solanacearum; surface modification; Technology of polymers; Verticillium albo-atrum; Biological properties; chitosan; Coated fiber; Synthetic fiber; Plasma assisted processing; Plant fiber; Cotton; Property processing relationship; Antimicrobial agent; Antifungal agent; Natural fiber; Chitin derivative; Olefin polymer; Non woven material; Propylene polymer; surface modmcation; antimicrobial activity; nonwoven polypropylene and cotton fabrics; Experimental study; Radiochemical crosslinking; Surface treatment; Bactericidal effect; Polyelectrolyte; Acrylate polymer; Chitosan derivatives; Oside polymer; Polyacid; Antibacterial agent
• ISSN: 0021-8995; 1097-4628
• DOI: 10.1002/app.25937

Nonwoven polypropylene and cotton fabrics were subjected to plasma pretreatment followed by flash evaporation and radiation crosslinking acrylate polymer coating, which is based on a vacuum deposition, solvent free, process that produces high quality, uniform fabrics with various thicknesses (0.05-5.0 μm). These treated fabrics were then dipped into chitosan, carboxymethyl chitosan, and carboxymethyl chitin solution. These polysaccharides form strong complexes with the modified surface. The antimicrobial activity of these treated samples was then evaluated for their antifungal and antibacterial properties. The antifungal activity for Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, Verticillium albo-atrum, and Alternaria solani (A. alternata) were examined by the disc plate method. The antibacterial activities of the modified fabrics against Clavibacter michiganensis and Pseudomonas solanacearum were also examined by the viable cell counting method. The inhibition zone of the chitosan covered samples has increased by a factor of 2-3.1 over the original pretreated samples. The chitosan-modified fabrics showed a good antibacterial activity in killing almost 10⁵ cells/mL within 18-23 h.