Abstract
A new environmentally benign antibacterial agent (magnesium hydroperoxyacetate or MHPA, the reaction product of magnesium acetate tetrahydrate and hydrogen peroxide) was affixed to cotton/polyester webs of varying fiber content (10/90, 20/80 and 30/70 cotton/polyester) by spraying a dilute aqueous dispersion on the webs, drying and curing, then needlepunching the treated webs to produce antibacterial nonwovens. The composition of the MHPA was monitored by differential scanning calorimetry, and the peroxide content of the MHPA and of the modified nonwovens determined by iodometric titration. Resultant nonwovens had comparable physical properties to untreated and needlepunched nonwovens (air permeability, stiffness and bursting strength) and excellent antibacterial activity toward representative Grampositive and Gram-negative bacteria, even at the lowest level of cotton and MHPA in the blends. Several applications for the modified nonwovens are described.