COMPARISON OF THE ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF SEVERAL KINDS OF ACTIVATED SILVER-SUPPORTING CARBON FIBERS

Several kinds of activated carbon fibers (ACFs) were prepared with steam activation or with ZnCl 2 or H 3PO 4 activation from sisal fiber, viscose fiber, and pitch fiber. Fine silver particles were dispersed in them through adsorption and reduction. The antibacterial activities of these silver supporting activated carbon fibers were checked and compared. Results show that the antibacterial ability of these materials against Escherichia coli has a close relationship with the precursors, the method of activation, the silver content and the specific surface area of the ACFs. In addition, the effective antibacterial life of the materials was also investigated.