Effect of copper and copper alginate treatment on wool fabric. Study of textile and antibacterial properties

• Published in: Surface & coatings technology Vol. 235; pp. 24 - 31
• Main Authors: Heliopoulos, Nikolaos S., Papageorgiou, Sergios K., Galeou, Angeliki, Favvas, Evangelos P., Katsaros, Fotios K., Stamatakis, Kostas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.11.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Alginate; Alginates; Antiinfectives and antibacterials; ANTISEPTICS; Bacteria; Bactericidal; Copper; COPPER IONS; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; E.coli; Escherichia coli; Exact sciences and technology; FABRICS; Materials science; MICRO ORGANISMS; Physics; Reduction; Surface treatments; Textiles; THERMOGRAVIMETRIC ANALYSIS; Washing; Wool; Alginate; Wool; Copper; Bactericidal; E.coli; Surface treatments; Copper additions
• ISSN: 0257-8972; 1879-3347
• DOI: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2013.07.009

Alginate and copper ions were used for the preparation of modified wool fabrics with antimicrobial properties. The modified fabrics were characterized using FTIR spectroscopy, SEM and thermogravimetric analysis. The antimicrobial activity of wool fabrics was assessed before and after repeated washings (up to 50cycles), against the test organism Escherichia coli. The resulting materials showed excellent antibacterial effect up to 100% reduction of bacteria after 24h contact time, even after 50 wash cycles. Also, they have very good washing and rubbing fastness properties. Alginate treatment improves textile abrasion resistance and slightly enhances the fabrics mechanical strength, prevents copper loss during washing, but mainly helps increase sorption, doubling the amount of copper in the final product, resulting in increased antibacterial protection even at zero contact time (97.7% reduction of bacteria compared to 91.3% for the non-alginate containing sample). •Wool fabric treated with Cu2+ and Alginate/Cu2+ to obtain antibacterial properties.•Alginate/Cu2+ treatment doubles the wool Cu2+ content compared to only Cu2+ treatment.•Alginate/Cu2+ treated fabrics exhibit bactericidal effects even at zero contact time.•Textile antibacterial effects for both treatments remain even after 50 washing cycles.•Fabrics after both treatments retain their original mechanical and textile properties.