engleski

Thermo-Physiological Comfort and Microbial Properties of Different Textile Raw Materials and Structures

Textile materials used in healthcare sector, food processing industry, nursing homes, hotels, restaurants and similar areas of application often present a problem when need to provide comfort and microbial barrier properties at the same time. Impact of different fabric structures made of different raw materials commonly used for hospital bed linen, healthcare professionals’ uniforms and surgical drapes on thermo-physiological comfort and microbial barrier properties was investigated. Investigated textile fabrics are woven satin fabric made of 100% cotton, twill woven fabric made of 100% Tencel®, plain woven fabric made of 50% PES/50% cotton, nonwoven fabric made of 100% polypropylene fibres and PES/PU/PES threelayered fabric laminate. Thermal and water vapour resistance was determined using the Sweating Guarded Hot Plate while microbial barrier properties were tested using bacterial spores of the Bacillus genus Geobacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus atrophaeus. The woven and nonwoven fabrics have very good thermo-physiological comfort, respectively, extremely breathable and comfortable at higher level of activity while PES/PU/PES three-layered fabric laminate has satisfactory comfort where fabric is breathable but uncomfortable at higher rate of activity. The woven fabrics allow easier penetration of bacterial colonies related to the polypropylene nonwoven fabric which is almost impermeable to microorganism due to layered structure with densely arranged polypropylene fibres. The laminate, due to polyurethane membranes between polyester knitted fabrics, is impermeable for microorganism but has highest water vapour resistance.

Microbial barrier permeability ; Sweating guarded hot plate ; Thermal and water vapour resistance ; Geobacillus stearothermophilus ; Bacillus atrophaeus

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