An Effective Antimicrobial Treatment for Wool Using Polyhexamethylene Biguanide as the Biocide, Part 2: Further Characterizations of the Fabrics

Part 1 of this study reported an effective antimicrobial treatment for wool, using a pretreatment of peroxymonosulfate and sulfite to facilitate the exhaustion of polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB), a biocide with a long history of safe use. Here, further studies were performed to examine whether this finishing would satisfy the requirements for commercial antimicrobial textile production in terms of washing durability, its compatibility with dyeing and its effects on textile physical properties. The finishing was found to be very durable, sustaining at least 25 washing cycles without significant reduction in the antimicrobial activity. The process was compatible with reactive dyes, although other types of dyes (acid dyes, chrome dyes, and Premetalized dyes) all reduced PHMB uptake by similar to 50%. The finishing had little adverse effect on the tensile strength, handle or whiteness of the fabrics. This process therefore meets the requirements of and holds promise for the commercial production of antimicrobial wool textiles. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 117: 2882-2887, 2010