A Study on Preparation and Property Evaluations of Composites Consisting of TPU/Triclosan Membranes and Tencel®/LMPET Nonwoven Fabrics

Bing-Chiuan Shiu; Po-Wen Hsu; Jian-Hong Lin; Ling-Fang Chien; Jia-Horng Lin; Ching-Wen Lou

doi:10.3390/polym14122514

A Study on Preparation and Property Evaluations of Composites Consisting of TPU/Triclosan Membranes and Tencel^®/LMPET Nonwoven Fabrics

Polymers (Basel). 2022 Jun 20;14(12):2514. doi: 10.3390/polym14122514.

Authors

Bing-Chiuan Shiu^{1

2}, Po-Wen Hsu^{1

2

3}, Jian-Hong Lin^{1

2

3}, Ling-Fang Chien³, Jia-Horng Lin^{1

3

4

5

6

7}, Ching-Wen Lou^{2

4

5

6

8}

Affiliations

¹ College of Material and Chemical Engineering, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, China.
² Fujian Key Laboratory of Novel Functional Fibers and Materials, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, China.
³ Laboratory of Fiber Application and Manufacturing, Department of Fiber and Composite Materials, Feng Chia University, Taichung 40724, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
⁵ Advanced Medical Care and Protection Technology Research Center, College of Textile and Clothing, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China.
⁶ Innovation Platform of Intelligent and Energy-Saving Textiles, School of Textile Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin 300387, China.
⁷ School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
⁸ Department of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, Asia University, Taichung 413305, Taiwan.

Abstract

This study investigated eco-friendly antibacterial medical protective clothing via the nonwoven process and characteristic evaluations. Firstly, Tencel^® fibers and low melting point polyester (LMPET) fibers (re-sliced and granulated from recycled PET bottles) were mixed at different ratios and then needle punched at diverse needle rolling depths. The influences of manufacturing parameters on the Tencel^®/LMPET nonwoven fabrics were examined in terms of mechanical properties, water vapor transmission rate, and stiffness. Next, Tencel^®/LMPET nonwoven fabrics were combined with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/Triclosan antibacterial membranes that contained different contents of triclosan using melt processing technology. The resulting Tencel^®/LMPET/TPU/Triclosan composites were characterized via different measurements; an optimal bursting strength of 86.86 N, an optimal horizontal tensile strength of 41.90 N, and an optimal stiffness along the MD and CD of 8.60 cm were recorded. Furthermore, the Tencel^®/LMPET/TPU/Triclosan composites exhibited a distinct inhibition zone in the antibacterial measurement, and the hydrostatic pressure met the requirements of the EN 14126:2003 and GB 19082-200 disposable medical protective gear test standards.

Keywords: Tencel® nonwoven fabrics; antibacterial TPU; low melting point polyester (LMPET); triclosan.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by Minjiang University President’s Fund grant number 103952022126.