Antimicrobial finishes triclosan

Moreover, so that the antimicrobial finish of the textile material can be as durable as possible, it must be ensured that the surfactant selected for the formulation does not wash the active component immediately out of the treated textile the first time it is washed. This is because Triclosan is bonded to the substrate in an exclusively physical manner, either by pure adhesion to the surface only or else supplemented by dissolution in the substrate. The structure of the formulation has a considerable influence on the adhesion of the active component to or within the substrate. 

It is also interesting in this connection to study the question of how the fastness to washing of the antimicrobial finish behaves when this finish is applied in the dyeing of the polyester woven fabric. Of equal interest is the question of whether the concentration of the dyes used has an influence on the permanence of the finish. Obviously, the levelness of such finishes is also of interest. The levelness of the dyeing can easily be tested. Less easily tested, however, is the levelness of the antimicrobial finish. In the tests carried out in our own laboratory with the product Sanitized T 96-20, which contains Triclosan as the active component, no cases of unlevelness were observed. This finding was both with respect to the depth of the dyeing (from pastel to saturated) as well as in the antimicrobial results. Also, no influence on the permanence of the antimicrobial finish could be found [6]. 

One of the most widely used antimicrobial products today is 2,4,4 -trichloro-2 -hydroxydiphenyl ether, known more commonly as triclosan (Fig. 15. Id). Triclosan finds extensive use in mouthwashes, toothpastes, liquid hand soaps, deodorant products, and the like. Although it is effective against most bacteria, it has poor antifungal properties. Triclosan is also important as a textile finish, but since its water solubility is very low, aqueous application requires use of dispersing agents and binders. 

Textile fabrics are finished with effective antimicrobial substances like ammonium, chlorinated diphenylethers (Triclosan), bisphenols, silver zeolites or cyclodextrines. Silver is an effective antimicrobial material and the constant release of a small amount of silver ions will kill bacteria or fungal growth. Silver particles may be added to the molten polymer or a silver coating may be applied to the fibres by a galvanic process. 

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