Mechanisms of antimicrobial finishes

Despite the long list of requirements, a variety of chemical fmishes have been used to produce textiles with demonstrable antimicrobial properties. These products can be divided into two types based on the mode of attack on microbes. One type consists of chemicals that can be considered to operate by a controlled-release mechanism. The antimicrobial is slowly released from a reservoir either on the fabric surface or in the interior of the fibre. This Teaching type of antimicrobial can be very effective against microbes on the fibre surface or in the surrounding enviromnent. However, eventually the reservoir will be depleted and the finish will no longer be effective. In addition, the antimicrobial that is released to the enviromnent may interfere with other desirable microbes, such as those present in waste treatment facilities. 

The second type of antimicrobial finish consists of molecules that are chemically 

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