Antibacterial Fibers and Materials

Abstract

Antimicrobial fibers that include antimicrobial nanoparticles dispersed substantially uniformly in a polymer matrix. Textiles and other materials can be formed from such fibers. The fibers may be formed via a masterbatch process or in a process wherein the antimicrobial nanoparticles, polymeric component, and additive(s) are melt processed together directly. Devices can be at least partially formed from polymer materials that include antimicrobial nanoparticles dispersed substantially uniformly in a polymer matrix.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A textile comprising antimicrobial fibers, at least one of said antimicrobial fibers comprising:
 a polymer matrix;   antimicrobial nanoparticles dispersed substantially uniformly throughout the polymer matrix, said substantially uniform dispersion of said antimicrobial nanoparticles in said antimicrobial fibers at least partially a result of a mixture of a) polymer used to form said polymer matrix, b) antimicrobial nanoparticles, and c) surfactant and/or coupling agent prior to the formation of said antimicrobial fibers.   
     
     
         2 . The textile of  claim 1 , wherein said mixture includes both said surfactant and said coupling agent. 
     
     
         3 . The textile as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the antimicrobial nanoparticles include one or more metal materials selected from the group of zinc metal, copper metal, silver metal, iron metal, zinc oxide, copper oxide, silver oxide, iron oxide, zinc salt, copper salt, silver salt, and iron salt. 
     
     
         4 . The textile as defined in  1 , wherein said polymer used to form said polymer matrix includes one or more polymer materials selected from the group consisting of a polyester, a polyamide, a polyolefin, a polycarbonate, and an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene polymer. 
     
     
         5 . The textile as defined in  claim 4 , wherein said polymer used to form said polymer matrix includes the polyester, said polyester includes polyethylene terephthalate. 
     
     
         6 . The textile as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said antimicrobial nanoparticles have a median particle size of less than or equal to 0.2 μm. 
     
     
         7 . The textile as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said antimicrobial fibers comprise about 0.5-12 wt. % of said antimicrobial nanoparticles. 
     
     
         8 . The textile as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said antimicrobial fibers have a cross section shape selected from the group consisting of a clover, cross, hollow cylinder, triangle, and dumbbell. 
     
     
         9 . The textile as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said mixture includes said surfactant, said surfactant includes one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of stearic acid, sodium dodecyl sulfonate surfactants, quaternary ammonium surfactants, amino acid surfactants, betaine surfactants, fatty acid glyceride ester surfactants, fatty acid sorbitan surfactants, lecithin surfactants, and Tween™ series surfactants. 
     
     
         10 . The textile as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said mixture includes said coupling agent, said coupling agent includes a silane and/or titanate coupling agent. 
     
     
         11 . The textile as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said coupling agent includes one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of silane coupling agent A-150, silane coupling agent A-151, silane coupling agent A-171, silane coupling agent A-172, silane coupling agent A-1100, and silane coupling agent. Agent A-187, silane coupling agent A-174, silane coupling agent A-1891, silane coupling agent A-189, silane coupling agent A-1120, silane coupling agent KH-550, silane coupling agent KH-560, silane coupling agent KH-570, silane coupling agent KH-580, silane coupling agent KH-590, silane coupling agent KH-902, silane coupling agent KH-903, silane coupling agent KH-792, phenyltrimethoxysilane, phenyltriethoxysilane, methyltriethoxysilane, titanate coupling agent 101, titanate coupling agent 102, and titanate coupling agent 105. 
     
     
         12 . The textile as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said antimicrobial fibers include mica, colorant, tourmaline, and/or aromatic material. 
     
     
         13 . The textile as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said textile is selected from the group consisting of a clothing, bedding, towels, cloths, rags, mops, shoes and other types of footwear, caps, hats, luggage, purses, backpacks, carrying cases, furniture fabric, curtains, awnings, tents, umbrellas, furniture covers, grill covers, laundry containers, storage containers, rugs, carpeting, pillow covers, blankets, throws, seat covers, bandages, straps, rope, twine, yarn, string, gowns, scrubs, masks, bandages, dressings, pillows, life jackets, bathmats, pads, diapers, wipes, sleeping bags, pet beds, pet toys, canvas products, and any other device or material that is fully or partially formed from threads and/or fabric. 
     
     
         14 . The textile as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said textile is at least partially formed from threads of material, at least a plurality of said threads used to at least partially form said textile includes said antimicrobial fibers, said threads that include said antimicrobial fibers formed of at least 10 wt. % of said antimicrobial fibers. 
     
     
         15 . An antimicrobial fiber comprising:
 a polymer matrix;   antimicrobial nanoparticles dispersed substantially uniformly throughout the polymer matrix, said substantially uniform dispersion of said antimicrobial nanoparticles in said antimicrobial fibers at least partially a result of a mixture of a) polymer used to form said polymer matrix, b) antimicrobial nanoparticles, and c) surfactant and/or coupling agent prior to the formation of said antimicrobial fibers.   
     
     
         16 . The antimicrobial fiber as defined in  claim 15 , wherein said mixture includes both said surfactant and said coupling agent. 
     
     
         17 . The antimicrobial fiber as defined in  claim 15 , wherein said antimicrobial nanoparticles include one or more metal materials selected from the group of zinc metal, copper metal, silver metal, iron metal, zinc oxide, copper oxide, silver oxide, iron oxide, zinc salt, copper salt, silver salt, and iron salt. 
     
     
         18 . The antimicrobial fiber as defined in  claim 15 , wherein said polymer used to form said polymer matrix includes one or more polymer materials selected from the group consisting of a polyester, a polyamide, a polyolefin, a polycarbonate, and an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene polymer. 
     
     
         19 . A method for forming antimicrobial fibers, the method comprising:
 spinning a heated mixture to form spun antimicrobial fibers, said heated mixture comprising antimicrobial nanoparticles, polymeric component, and at least one additive selected from the group consisting of surfactant and coupling agent.   
     
     
         20 . The method as defined in  claim 19 , further comprising the step of winding, stretching and/or cooling said spun fibers. 
     
     
         21 . The method as defined in  claim 19 , wherein said at least one additive includes both surfactant and coupling agent. 
     
     
         22 . The method as defined in  claim 19 , wherein said antimicrobial nanoparticles include one or more metal materials selected from the group of zinc metal, copper metal, silver metal, iron metal, zinc oxide, copper oxide, silver oxide, iron oxide, zinc salt, copper salt, silver salt, and iron salt. 
     
     
         23 . The method as defined in  claim 19 , wherein said polymer component includes one or more polymer materials selected from the group consisting of a polyester, a polyamide, a polyolefin, a polycarbonate, and an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene polymer. 
     
     
         24 . The method as defined in  claim 19 , wherein said antimicrobial fibers have a cross section shape selected from the group consisting of a clover, cross, hollow cylinder, triangle, and dumbbell. 
     
     
         25 . A method for forming a masterbatch for use in mixing with another polymer to form an antimicrobial fiber, the method comprising:
 blending a mixture comprising antimicrobial nanoparticles, a polymeric component, and at least one additive selected from the group consisting of surfactants and coupling agents; and   granulating said blended mixture to form granulated pieces of said masterbatch.   
     
     
         26 . The method as defined in  claim 25 , wherein said step of blending is at a temperature of about 100-350° C. 
     
     
         27 . The method as defined in  claim 25 , wherein said step of blending is at a temperature of about 200-300° C. 
     
     
         28 . The method as defined in  claim 25 , wherein said step of blending is at a temperature of about 210-290° C. 
     
     
         29 . The method as defined in  claim 25 , wherein said antimicrobial nanoparticles constitute about 4-49 wt. % of said masterbatch, said polymeric component constitutes about 40-95 wt. % of said masterbatch. 
     
     
         30 . The method as defined in  claim 25 , wherein said at least one additive constitutes about 0.001-30 wt. % of said masterbatch. 
     
     
         31 . The method as defined in  claim 25 , wherein said antimicrobial nanoparticles include one or more metal materials selected from the group of zinc metal, copper metal, silver metal, iron metal, zinc oxide, copper oxide, silver oxide, iron oxide, zinc salt, copper salt, silver salt, and iron salt. 
     
     
         32 . The method as defined in  claim 25 , wherein said polymeric component includes one or more polymer materials selected from the group consisting of a polyester, a polyamide, a polyolefin, a polycarbonate, and an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene polymer. 
     
     
         33 . A method for forming antimicrobial fibers, the method comprising:
 extruding a mixture comprising masterbatch particles and polymer particles;   spinning the extruded mixture into spun fibers; and,   wherein said masterbatch particles comprise antimicrobial nanoparticles, a masterbatch polymer, and at least one additive selected from the group consisting of surfactants and coupling agents.   
     
     
         34 . The method as defined in  claim 33 , wherein said step of extruding is at a temperature about 200-350° C. 
     
     
         35 . The method as defined in  claim 34 , wherein said mixture comprises about 2-20 wt. % of said masterbatch particles and about 80-98 wt. % of said polymer particles. 
     
     
         36 . An antimicrobial thread comprising antimicrobial fibers and non-antimicrobial fibers, said antimicrobial fibers constitute about 15-90 wt. % of said antimicrobial thread, said non-antimicrobial fibers constitute about 10-85 wt. % of said antimicrobial thread,
 wherein said antimicrobial fibers formed of a polymer matrix having antimicrobial nanoparticles dispersed substantially uniformly throughout said polymer matrix, said substantially uniform dispersion of said antimicrobial nanoparticles in said antimicrobial fibers at least partially a result of a mixture of a) polymer used to form said polymer matrix, b) antimicrobial nanoparticles, and c) surfactant and/or coupling agent prior to the formation of said antimicrobial fibers, and   wherein said non-antimicrobial fibers include one or more materials selected from the group consisting of cotton fibers, wool fibers, silk fibers, linen fibers, hemp fibers, flax fibers, rayon fibers, polyester fibers, nylon fibers, mylar fibers, glitter fibers and metallic fibers, said non-antimicrobial fibers absent antimicrobial nanoparticles.   
     
     
         37 . The antimicrobial thread as defined in  claim 36 , wherein less than 1% of said antimicrobial nanoparticles in said antimicrobial fibers leach from said antimicrobial fibers after said antimicrobial thread has been subjected to one standard wash cycle. 
     
     
         38 . The antimicrobial thread as defined in  claim 36 , wherein less than 1% of said antimicrobial nanoparticles in said antimicrobial fibers leach from said antimicrobial fibers after said antimicrobial thread has been subjected to 100 standard wash cycles.