Development of Advanced Personal Protective Equipment Fabrics for Protection Against Slashes and Pathogenic Bacteria Part 2: Development of Antimicrobial Hygiene Garments and their Characterization

Knife is the most commonly used single weapon in the UK and studies reveal that majority of the knife-inflicted wounds were slash type that could be disfiguring or life threatening. Currently available stab-resistant armours do not protect the arms, neck, and face as they are rigid to be worn comfortably for everyday use. The main objectives of this research program are: (a) to develop and characterize a novel cut-resistant and slash-proof material that is lightweight, comfortable, and efficient; and (b) to integrate barrier properties in such garments which would incorporate suitable antimicrobial and other suitable chemicals to provide protection against a range of microorganisms. The design and development of novel slash-proof materials for the police, armed forces, children, and the public, which is lightweight, comfortable, and efficient was discussed in Part 1 of this series. This part discusses the application and study of antimicrobial properties on this novel two-layered weft knitted slash-resistant fabric that has only 13.6% of its fibers effectively available for incorporation of antibacterial agents. The antibacterial formulation was applied at different concentrations onto the fabric using pad-dry-cure method. Antimicrobial properties of the treated fabrics were evaluated using modified AATCC Test method 147-1998 against common pathogenic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. It was found that the formulation with 10% concentration showed optimum antimicrobial property with good washing fastness. The durability of the antimicrobial agents were evaluated, both with and without cross-linking agents, for up to 10 washes and better washing fastness was achieved with a cross-linking agent on the face knitted with the composite WF 528 yarn.