Organic antimicrobial textile

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of rendering a textile antimicrobial by treating the textile in a liquor application process with at least one amino acid and/or at least one amino acid derivative, and to a wash-durable antimicrobial textile obtained by the method.

1 .- 60 . (canceled) 
     
     
         61 . A method for rendering a textile antimicrobial, comprising a main process cycle comprising the steps of:
 treating the textile in a main liquor application process such as padding or preferably exhaustion, the liquor of the main liquor application process comprising at least one amino acid and/or at least one amino acid derivative,   subjecting the treated textile to a heat treatment,   optionally washing the heat-treated textile, and   optionally drying the washed textile,   and the method preferably comprising a secondary process cycle being performed after the steps of the main process cycle and comprising the steps of:   treating the textile using a secondary liquor application process, such as an exhaust or preferably a padding process, wherein the liquor of the secondary liquor application process comprises at least one amino acid, at least one amino acid derivative, and/or at least one antimicrobial agent;   subjecting the treated textile to a heat treatment,   optionally washing the heat-treated textile, and   optionally drying the washed textile,   wherein the liquor of the main and/or secondary liquor application process comprises glucosamine and/or polyglucosamine.   
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the amino acid and/or amino acid derivative comprised in the liquor of the main and/or secondary liquor application process has an isoelectric point equal to or above 7, preferably equal to or above 8, more preferably equal to or above 8.5, and/or has a pH-independent positive charge. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the at least one amino acid comprised in the liquor of the main and/or secondary liquor application process is selected from the group consisting of natural amino acid, unnatural amino acid, non-proteinogenic amino acid, and/or wherein the at least one amino acid derivative is selected from the group consisting of peptide and quaternary ammonium comprising amino acid derivative, wherein the natural, unnatural or non-proteinogenic amino acid is preferably in L configuration, and/or wherein the peptide is a L-peptide, wherein the peptide is further preferably a dipeptide or a polypeptide, wherein the polypeptide preferably contains 3 to 50 amino acids. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the at least one amino acid comprised in the liquor of the main and/or secondary liquor application process is lysine, arginine, or histidine, preferably arginine;
 and/or wherein the at least one amino acid derivative comprised in the liquor of the main and/or secondary liquor application process is a lantibiotic, preferably nisin;   and/or wherein the at least one amino acid derivative comprised in the liquor of the main and/or secondary liquor application process is carnitine or betaine, preferably carnitine.   
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein at least arginine and carnitine are comprised in the liquor of the main and/or secondary liquor application process. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the at least one amino acid or amino acid derivative in the liquors of all process cycles together is applied to the textile in an amount of at least 0.1% by weight, preferably at least 0.2%, more preferably at least 0.5%, or at least 1%, at least 2%, at least 3%, or at least 4%, based on the weight of the textile; and/or wherein the at least one amino acid or amino acid derivative in the liquors of all process cycles together is applied to the textile in an amount of at most 20% by weight, preferably at most 18%, or at most 16%, or at most 14%, or at most 12%, or, at most 10%, or at most 8%, or at most 6% or at most 4%, most preferably, at most 12% based on the weight of the textile. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein preparing the liquor of the main and/or secondary liquor application process comprises the following steps:
 preparing an aqueous reaction mixture comprising the at least one amino acid and/or amino acid derivative,   incubating the reaction mixture for at least 10 minutes, preferably at least 20 minutes, more preferably at least 30 minutes, even more preferably at least 40 minutes, and most preferably at least 50 minutes, wherein the temperature of the reaction mixture during incubation is preferably at least 30° C., more preferably at least 40° C., even more preferably at least 50° C., and most preferably at least 60° C.   
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the polyglucosamine and/or glucosamine is in a water-soluble form. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the polyglucosamine and/or glucosamine is provided as a concentrated solution or suspension of at most 50% polyglucosamine and/or glucosamine, preferably at most 40%, more preferably at most 30%, most preferably at most 20%, and/or of at least 1%, preferably at least 5%, more preferably at least 10%, and most preferably at least 15%;
 wherein the pH of the concentrated solution or suspension is preferably adjusted to a pH below 6.5, preferably below 6.0, more preferably below 5.5, even more preferably below 5.0, most preferably to a about 4.5 and/or preferably higher than 3.0, more preferably higher than 4.0, even more preferably higher than 5.0, most preferably about 5.5.   
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein glucosamine and/or polyglucosamine in the liquors of all process cycles together is applied to the textile in an amount of at least 0.1%, preferably at least 0.2%, more preferably at least 0.3%, or at least 0.7% or at least 1%, based on the weight of the textile, and/or wherein glucosamine and/or polyglucosamine in the liquors of all process cycles together is applied to the textile in an amount of at most 5%, preferably at most 4%, more preferably at most 3%, even more preferably at most 2%, and most preferably at most 1.6%, or at most 1%, based on the weight of the textile material. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein preparing the liquor of the main and/or secondary liquor application process comprises the following steps:
 providing the at least one amino acid and/or amino acid derivative in powder or liquid form,   providing the glucosamine and/or polyglucosamine in powder or liquid form,   preparing a preferably aqueous reaction mixture comprising
 the at least one amino acid and/or amino acid derivative, 
 and glucosamine and/or polyglucosamine, and 
   incubating the reaction mixture for at least 10 minutes, preferably at least 20 minutes, more preferably at least 30 minutes, even more preferably at least 40 minutes, and most preferably at least 50 minutes, wherein the temperature of the reaction mixture during incubation is preferably at least 30° C., more preferably at least 40° C., even more preferably at least 50° C., and most preferably at least 60° C.   
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the temperature of the reaction mixture during incubation is at most 95° C., preferably at most 90° C., more preferably at most 85° C., even more preferably at most 80° C., and most preferably at most 75° C. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein in the main and/or secondary liquor application process, at least 50%, preferably at 70%, more preferably at least 80%, even more preferably at least 90%, and most preferably at least 95% of the at least one amino acid, amino acid derivative and/or polyglucosamine bound to the textile are not bound to cellulose molecules dispersed or dissolved in the liquor. 
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the liquor of the main and/or secondary process cycle comprises one, two, three, or all four of the antimicrobial agents selected from the group consisting of azole based compound, silver ions, polyhexamethylene biguanide, quaternary ammonium organosilane. 
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the liquor of the main and/or secondary liquor application process comprises water, preferably water and isopropanol, more preferably wherein isopropanol is contained in the liquor at a concentration of between 0.05 and 2 wt. %, preferably between 0.1 and 1 wt. %, more preferably between 0.2 and 0.6 wt. %;
 and/or wherein the pH of the liquor of the main and/or secondary liquor application process is equal to or below 6.5, preferably equal to or below 6.0, more preferably equal to or below 5.5, even more preferably equal to or below 5.0, most preferably about 4.55 and/or preferably higher than 3.0, more preferably higher than 4.0, even more preferably higher than 5.0, most preferably about 5.5.   
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein during an exhaust process, the liquor has a temperature of at least 40° C., in particular at least 45° C., preferably at least 50° C., more preferably at least 55° C., even more preferably at least 60° C., most preferably at least about 65° C., and/or wherein during an exhaust process, the liquor has a temperature below boiling temperature, preferably at most 95° C., more preferably at most 90° C., particularly at most 85° C., and most preferably at most about 80° C. 
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the heat treatment of the main and/or secondary process cycle comprises drying and/or curing, wherein drying is preferably conducted at an ambient temperature of at most 190° C., preferably at most 180° C., more preferably at most 170° C., and/or at an ambient temperature of at least 60° C., preferably at least 80° C., more preferably at least 100° C., and most preferably at least about 120° C., and/or wherein curing is preferably conducted at least partially at an ambient temperature of at least 150° C., preferably at least 160° C., more preferably at least 170° C., particularly at least 175° C., and most preferably at least about 180° C., and/or at an ambient temperature of at most 205° C., preferably at most 195° C., more preferably at most 190° C., particularly at most 185° C., and most preferably at most about 180° C. 
     
     
         78 . An antimicrobial textile obtainable by the method of  claim 61 , preferably wherein the at least one amino acid and/or amino acid derivative is (are) adhered or bound or covalently bound to the textile, and/or, if present, preferably wherein also the glucosamine, polyglucosamine and/or further antimicrobial agent(s) is (are) adhered or bound or covalently bound to the textile,
 wherein the at least one amino acid or amino acid derivative in the liquors of all process cycles together is applied to the textile in an amount of at least 0.1% by weight, preferably at least 0.2%, more preferably at least 0.5%, or at least 1%, at least 2%, at least 3%, or at least 4%, based on the weight of the textile; and/or wherein the at least one amino acid or amino acid derivative in the liquors of all process cycles together is applied to the textile in an amount of at most 20% by weight, preferably at most 18%, or at most 16%, or at most 14%, or at most 12%, or, at most 10%, or at most 8%, or at most 6% or at most 4%, most preferably, at most 12% based on the weight of the textile; and   wherein glucosamine and/or polyglucosamine in the liquors of all process cycles together is applied to the textile in an amount of at least 0.1%, preferably at least 0.2%, more preferably at least 0.3%, or at least 0.7% or at least 1%, based on the weight of the textile, and/or wherein glucosamine and/or polyglucosamine in the liquors of all process cycles together is applied to the textile in an amount of at most 5%, preferably at most 4%, more preferably at most 3%, even more preferably at most 2%, and most preferably at most 1.6%, or at most 1%, based on the weight of the textile material.   
     
     
         79 . The antimicrobial textile of  claim 78 ,
 exhibiting a reduction value of  P. aeruginosa  ATCC 9027 and/or  Staphylococcus aureus  ATCC 6538, measured in accordance with AATCC test method 100-2012, of at least 99%, preferably at least 99.9%, more preferably at least 99.99%, most preferably at least 99.999%, within 24 hours of contact time, preferably within 6 hours of contact time, more preferably within 1 hour of contact time, even more preferably within 15 minutes of contact time, particularly within 10 minutes of contact time,   wherein the reduction value is preferably achieved even after at least 5 laundry washed, more preferably, even after at least 10 laundry washes in a laundry washing machine at 40° C. for 20-40 minutes, preferably using non-antimicrobial, non-ionic and non-chlorine containing laundry detergent, preferably followed by a standard rinse cycle;
 and/or exhibiting zero growth of microbes when tested in accordance with AATCC Test Method 30-2013 Part III (Agar Plate,  Aspergillus niger  or  Candida albicans ), 
   wherein the zero growth value is preferably achieved even after at least 5 laundry washed, more preferably, even after at least 10 laundry washes in a laundry washing machine at 40° C. for 20-40 minutes, preferably using brand name non-antimicrobial, non-ionic and non-chlorine containing laundry detergent, preferably followed by a standard rinse cycle.   
     
     
         80 . The antimicrobial textile of  claim 78 , wherein at least 90%, based on weight, preferably at least 95%, more preferably at least 98%, even more preferably at least 99%, particularly 99.5%, and most preferably about 100% of all antimicrobial agents adhered to or comprised by the textile are biodegradable and/or natural and organic.