DEVELOPMENT OF DISPOSABLE HYDROPHILIC AND ANTIBACTERIAL POLYPROPYLENE NONWOVEN SHEET

Year 2011, Volume: 21 Issue: 4, 328 - 335, 30.12.2011

Hakan Ünal Gülay Özcan

Abstract

Especially at hospitals, nosocomial infections or the infections of patients are a great concern for the patients, visitors, and healthcare
workers. Mortality caused by nosocomial infections is quite high in all over the world. It is reported that 40 % of all nosocomial infections
can be prevented. In this study first of all, nosocomial infections and their effect on the human health are disscussed. And then the hospital
sheets and their role on the spread of these infections were examined. The main purpose of this study is to develop a new disposable and
antibacterial sheet. It was targetted to partially prevent spread of the infections in the hospitals. Because of the cost concerns, the disposable
sheet was designed as polypropylene and spun-bond nonwoven. In the experimental section, 3 different polypropylene spun-bond nonwoven
fabrics were supplied by General Nonwoven Ltd. Nonwovens were processed into a hydrophilic structure by using atmospheric O2 plasma
treatment. Silver based and PHMB based two different antibacterial finishing chemicals were applied to the samples by pad-batch method.
Antimicrobial tests and physical tests were applied to the samples according to relevant ISO and ASTM standards for measuring their
performance characteristics. Finally experimental results were evaluated using statistical methods and how, and at which level chemical
finishing and atmospheric plasma process affects spunbond nonwoven fabric properties were tried to define.

Keywords

Nonwovens, Polipropylene, Oxigen plasma, Antibacterial finishing

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