Antimicrobial Properties of Acrylic Fabrics Dyed with Direct Dye and a Copper Salt

In this research work, acrylic fabric with an antimicrobial function was prepared by dyeing with C.I. Direct Blue 168 and copper sulfate as mordanting agent. The effects of various factors which may affect the antimicrobial property of the treated fabric, such as copper sulfate concentration and temperature in pre- and post-mordanting procedures, were studied. Antimicrobial properties of treated fabrics were evaluated against common pathogenous bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Untreated acrylic fabric showed no antimicrobial behavior, whilst dyed and copper mordanted fabrics possessed considerable antimicrobial properties. It was found that the treated fabric with 2 % copper sulfate in pre- and post-mordanting scenarios retained the highest antimicrobial property with good washing fastness. It was also shown that using higher temperature in the mordanting stage could lead to a higher antimicrobial functionality on mordanted dyed fabrics. Furthermore, K/S value, FTIR spectra, light and washing fastnesses of the treated fabrics were evaluated.