Preparation And Characterization Of Antibacterial Pearl Cellulose Polyblended Fiber

Pearl cellulose polyblended fiber(hereinafter referred to as pearl fiber) is a functional cellulose blended with super tiny pearl power during the spinning process. Pearl fiber textiles have unique softness, comforts and excellent infrared projection, which satisfy the consumer in certain extent. However, changing needs of underwear market has made it priority for anti-bacterial function. Market explodes if socks and underwear products could be both anti-bacterial and comfortable. As a result, it raises relating enterprises top issues to develop anti-bacterial function of pearl fiber.This article firstly introduced the development, function and application of pearl cellulose in recent times and its major functional index. Meanwhile, this article analyzed products and research about anti-bacterial pearl cellulose(hereinafter referred to as anti-bacterial pearl fiber) and its anti-bacterial performance, and elaborated shorts of existing pearl fiber and anti-bacterial pearl fiber. Developments of organic and inorganic anti-bacterial agents had also been introduced in this article. At the same time, this article pointed out the superiority, compared with organic anti-bacterial agent, inorganic anti-bacterial agent had in cellulose system.The powder adding process were optimized in this article by mixing super tiny zinc oxide powder(D50<0.5μm), which successfully reduced coagulation of pearl powder, and increased efficiency of grind. As a result, size of anti-bacterial particles had been reduced by 50%. The pearl powder and zinc oxide powder were milled into superfine particles with a ball-grinder and then added water to fabricate mixture. The mixture was blended into viscose spinning solution, and thus anti-bacterial pearl cellulose fiber was obtained.Afterwards, the ash content of samples were tested, and the results showed that ash weights were not proportional to weights of functional powder(within 1.5% to 5% dose). Namely, fiber which added smaller percentage of functional powder had higher ash content. Data showed that ash content of anti-bacterial pearl fiber reached to 1.87%, which were significantly increased by 270% compared with that of the existing pearl fiber.This article also explained the superiority why zinc oxide had been chosen as anti-bacteria agents in pearl fiber. The broad-spectrum and safety of zinc ion were introduced, and its anti-bacterial mechanism was focused on in this article. By a serious of experiments including anti-bacterial test, animo acid test, and far-infrared test, the new anti-bacterial pearl fiber from our optimized powder adding process(2.33% pearl powder and 1.167% zinc oxide powder)had significant anti-bacteria effects to Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli,and Monilia albicans. Experiment showed that cotton jersey blended with 30 percent anti-bacterial pearl fiber had far-infrared emissivity ratio of 0.895. Meanwhile, the fabric contained 16 animo acids, total amount of animo acid had increased 166% compared with the existing pearl fiber. It was proved by above experiments that the new anti-bacterial pearl fiber remained good far-infrared emissivity of pearl fiber, sufficient contents of animo acids, in the meantime, it had excellent anti-bacterial function.