Built-in antimicrobial plastic resins and methods for making the same
Provided herein is a method for preparing antimicrobial thermoplastic resins and products thereof.
1. A method for preparing an antimicrobial thermoplastic resin, the method comprising the steps of:
preparing an antimicrobial thermoplastic resin by melt extruding a composition comprising an intermediate, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and a basic plastic selected from the group consisting of a polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride, and a polycarbonate, wherein said antimicrobial thermoplastic is biocide-free and has bacterial-repellent properties and the intermediate is selected from the group consisting of:
a co-polymer comprising a polystyrene repeating unit and a maleic anhydride repeating unit;
a maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene; and
a maleic anhydride-grafted olefin plastomer.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of molding the antimicrobial thermoplastic resin into a finished article through a thermoforming process.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the finished article is in a form selected from the group consisting of solid, monolith, tube, composite, fiber, film, sheet and varnish.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the basic plastic is a thermoplastic and melt-processable plastic resin selected from the group consisting polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises citric acid.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate is a co-polymer comprising a polystyrene repeating unit and a maleic anhydride repeating unit.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the basic plastic is selected from the group consisting polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the basic plastic is selected from the group consisting polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the basic plastic is polypropylene and PEG, the intermediate, and polypropylene are present in the antimicrobial thermoplastic resin in a mass ratio of 33:1:667, respectively.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the basic plastic is polyvinyl chloride and the PEG, the intermediate, and polyvinyl chloride are present in the antimicrobial thermoplastic resin in a mass ratio of 33:1:667, respectively.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the composition further comprises citric acid.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate is a maleic anhydride-grafted olefin plastomer.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the basic plastic is polypropylene.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein PEG, the intermediate, and polypropylene are present in the antimicrobial thermoplastic resin in a mass ratio of 1:2:18, respectively.
15. An antimicrobial thermoplastic resin prepared by the method of claim 1 .
16. An antimicrobial thermoplastic resin prepared by the method of claim 8 .
17. An antimicrobial thermoplastic resin prepared by the method of claim 9 .
18. An antimicrobial thermoplastic resin prepared by the method of claim 10 .
19. An antimicrobial thermoplastic resin prepared by the method of claim 13 .
20. An antimicrobial thermoplastic resin prepared by the method of claim 14 .