ANTIMICROBIAL SUBSTRATE

1 . A method of making a nonwoven mat comprising one or more antimicrobial agents, comprising:

providing a dispersion comprising:

a fluorinated polymer;

a fiberizing polymer;

one or more antimicrobial agents; and

a solvent;

electrospinning said dispersion to give a mat precursor; and

heating said mat precursor at a temperature and for a time sufficient to remove said solvent and said fiberizing polymer, in order to form a nonwoven mat.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said electrospinning comprises:

providing an apparatus comprising a charge source and a target a distance from said charge source;

providing a voltage source to create a first charge at said charge source and an opposing charge at said target wherein said dispersion is electrostatically charged by contact with said charge source; and

collecting said electrostatically charged dispersion on said target.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more antimicrobial agents are selected from the group consisting of silver, silver compounds, metal oxides, metal sulfides, and mixtures thereof.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more antimicrobial agents comprise silver nanoparticles.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the metal oxides and metal sulfides are selected from the group consisting of titanium dioxide, selenium sulfide, cadmium oxide, zinc oxide, and mixtures thereof.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said nonwoven mat comprises the one or more antimicrobial agents in an amount of between about 10 ppm and about 10,000 ppm.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein said nonwoven mat comprises the one or more antimicrobial agents in an amount of between about 1,000 ppm and about 5,000 ppm.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said fluorinated polymer is provided in the form of a resin comprising about 50% to about 80% polymer solids by weight.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said fluorinated polymer has an average particle size of between about 0.1 μm and about 0.3 μm.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said fluorinated polymer comprises polytetrafluoroethylene.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said fluorinated polymer is selected from the group consisting of fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), perfluoroalkoxy (PFA), a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene and vinylidene fluoride (THV), poly(ethylene-co-tetrafluoroethylene) (ETFE), ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE), PCTFE (polychlorotrifluoroethylene), and copolymers, blends, and derivatives thereof.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the amount of fiberizing polymer is between about 3.0 and about 5.5 percent by weight of the amount of fluorinated polymer.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said fiberizing polymer has a solubility in said solvent of greater than about 0.5 weight percent at room temperature.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said fiberizing polymer is polyethylene oxide.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the polyethylene oxide has a number average molecular weight of from about 50,000 amu to about 4,000,000 amu.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said solvent is water.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said dispersion has a viscosity of greater than 50,000 cP.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the viscosity is from about 70,000 cP to about 150,000 cP.

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the voltage is about 2,000 to about 100,000 volts.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the heating is conducted between about 350° C. and about 485° C.

21 . A method of making a nonwoven polytetrafluoroethylene mat comprising one or more antimicrobial agents, comprising:

providing a dispersion comprising:

polytetrafluoroethylene;

polyethylene oxide;

one or more antimicrobial agents selected from the group consisting of silver, silver compounds, metal oxides, metal sulfides, and mixtures thereof; and

a solvent;

electrospinning said dispersion to give a polytetrafluoroethylene mat precursor; and

heating said polytetrafluoroethylene mat precursor at a temperature and for a time sufficient to remove said solvent and polyethylene oxide, in order to form a nonwoven polytetrafluoroethylene mat.

22 . A material comprising a non-woven polytetrafluoroethylene with at least one embedded antimicrobial agent.

23 . The material of claim 22 , wherein the at least one antimicrobial agent is selected from the group consisting of silver, silver compounds, metal oxides, metal sulfides, and mixtures thereof.

24 . The material of claim 23 , wherein the at least one antimicrobial agent comprises silver nanoparticles.

25 . The material of claim 24 , wherein the metal oxides and metal sulfides are selected from the group consisting of titanium dioxide, selenium sulfide, cadmium oxide, zinc oxide, and mixtures thereof.

26 . The material of claim 22 , wherein the antimicrobial agents are present in an amount of between about 10 ppm and about 10,000 ppm.

27 . The material of claim 26 , wherein the antimicrobial agents are present in an amount of between about 1,000 ppm and about 5,000 ppm.

28 . The material of claim 22 , wherein the material is in the form of a sheet, tube, or covering.

29 . A filtration device comprising the material of claim 22 .

30 . The filtration device of claim 29 , wherein the filtration device is adapted for use in medical applications or military applications.

31 . A personal protective equipment comprising the material of claim 22 .

32 . The personal protective equipment of claim 31 , selected from the group consisting of surgical masks, antimicrobial wipes, garments and respiration devices.

33 . A wound dressing comprising the material of claim 22 .

34 . An implantable medical article comprising the material of claim 22 .

35 . The implantable medical article of claim 34 , selected from the group consisting of tissue scaffolding, stents, grafts, and occlusion devices.