2002 - Volume 1 - JEFF. Journal of Engineered Fibers and Fabrics

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE
A Comparison Of Antimicrobials
For The Textile Industry
By Robert A. Monticello Ph.D., ÆGIS Environments, Midland, MI; W. Curtis White, M.S., ÆGIS
Environments, Midland, MI; and Patrice Vandendaele, Devan, Ronse-Renaix, Belgium
Introduction
The nonwovens industry supplies an unending variety of
products to an endless array of end-uses and industries. This
breadth of end-uses and products requires much attention to
the large number of processing steps and variables. The versatility
of raw materials, processes, and substrates available to
the nonwovens industry, allows technical and marketing people
to customize materials for their customers’ needs.
Selecting the right product and process for the eventual
end-use includes a wide variety of criteria. These include regulatory
compliance, toxicity to people and the environment,
feature and application specific performance, basic integrity
of the product, and costs. The ability to determine the performance
criteria of these customized nonwovens is not simple
and must include a complete understanding of the end-use
requirements and the strengths and weaknesses of the testing
techniques that are to be used.
Although important for all kinds of end-uses and performance
properties, the criteria above are critically important
for specifying and applying antimicrobial treatment on nonwovens.
This paper will provide the reader with an evaluation of
antimicrobial treatments on nonwovens. Examples will be
used that include antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-mite performance.
Microorganisms
Mold, mildew, fungus, yeast, and bacteria (microorganisms),
are part of our everyday lives. There are both good and
bad types of microorganisms. The thousands of species of
microorganisms that exist are found everywhere in the environment
and on our bodies.
Consumer and commercial operators are challenged by the
presence of these microorganisms and the negative effects
they cause. Antimicrobial treatments for bacterial, fungal, and
mite control, are proving to be popular among consumers,
manufacturers, and building operators. These treatments not
only provide protection from microorganisms they also add
aesthetic and emotive values to a full range of products.
38 INJ Spring 2002
Deterioration, defacement, odors, and “harboring” medically
significant microorganisms, are all dramatic effects we see in
buildings and products where microbial contamination is present.
The ability to make surfaces and nonwovens resistant to
microbial contamination has advantages and values in many
applications and market segments served by the nonwovens
industry.
Additionally, many nonwovens require the need to control
microscopic arthropods such as mites. Mites are associated
with dirt and dust and their presence in bedding and other
home furnishing products has been linked to allergenic
responses in humans. Control strategies for these organisms
are complex, taking into consideration the life habits of these
organisms as well as their metabolic and reproductive habits.
Antimicrobials
The term antimicrobial refers to a broad range of technologies
that can provide varying degrees of protection for products
and buildings against microorganisms. Antimicrobials
are very different in their chemical nature, mode of action,
impact on people and the environment, in-plant-handling
characteristics, durability on various substrates, costs, and
how they interact with good and bad microorganisms.
Antimicrobials are used on nonwovens to control bacteria,
fungi, mold, mildew, and algae. This control reduces or eliminates
the problems of deterioration, staining, odors, and
health concerns that they cause.
In the broad array of microorganisms there are both good
and bad types. Antimicrobial strategies for bad organisms
must include ensuring that non-target organisms are not
affected or that adaptation of microorganisms is not encouraged.
Antimicrobials, when properly applied, limit greatly the
life habits and environments for the common dust mite.
Microorganisms cause problems with nonwoven raw materials
and processing chemicals, wet processes in the mills,
roll or bulk goods in storage, finished goods in storage and
transport, and goods as they are used by the consumer. These
effects are extremely critical to clean room operators, medical
facilities, and food processing facilities. They are also an