Hohenstein targets outdoor brands with antimicrobial finish for wool
24/11/2014
They say that while many antimicrobial treatments are effective on cotton, polyester and polyamide, not many are effective on wool, which tends to be washed less frequently.
The researchers studied the combined use of ionic biopolymers, cationic polyelectrolytes, silver and zinc and technologies such as layer-by-layer coating. At Hohenstein, researchers concentrated on producing a colloidal dispersion of mixed substances in an aqueous dispersion medium. They worked out the best ratio for the concentration, and how to apply and fix ultra-thin layers to textile substrates. The DWI developed a hydrogel coating made of polyamines and silver colloids and studied the effectiveness of the silver-release layers that were produced in situ in the treatment of pure woollen fabric and in fibre mixes.
The formulations are already licensed under the EU Biocidal Products Regulation and can be used as a combined treatment by textile finishing companies.
Mihaela Szegedi, project leader at Hohenstein, said the development will be attractive for outdoor and sports companies. "By combining the use of different antimicrobial substances and technologies, we have achieved a really wide range of effectiveness. This will be especially of interest to manufacturers of high-quality functional textiles containing wool. However, we also see great potential for classic business suits or ladies' suits made of wool or mixed fabrics containing wool, as well as domestic and furnishing textiles."
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