Antimicrobial polymer compositions, fibers, and yarns
View Patent ↗The present disclosure relates the polymer compositions, fibers, and yarns having near-permanent antimicrobial activity, and a method of producing the same. In one embodiment, the antimicrobial polymer composition from 50 wt % to 99.9 wt % of a polymer, from 5 wppm to 1000 wppm of zinc, and from 0.005 wt % to 1 wt % of phosphorus, wherein fibers formed from the polymer composition demonstrate a zinc retention rate of greater than 20% when tested in a dye bath test.
1. A polymer composition having antimicrobial properties, the composition comprising:
from 50 wt % to 99.9 wt % of a thermoplastic polymer;
from 5 wppm to 900 wppm of zinc from a zinc compound comprising zinc oxide, zinc ammonium adipate, zinc acetate, zinc ammonium carbonate, zinc stearate, zinc phenyl phosphinic acid, or zinc pyrithione, or combinations thereof; and
less than 1 wt % of phosphorus;
wherein the weight ratio of the zinc to the phosphorus is at least 1.5:1 or less than 0.5:1;
wherein the polymer composition has a relative viscosity ranging from 25 to 70;
wherein the polymer composition demonstrates a Klebsiella Pneumoniae reduction greater than 95% as measured by ISO 20743:2013; and
wherein fibers formed from the polymer composition demonstrate a zinc retention rate of greater than 20% when tested in a dye bath test with dyeing at a pH of 4.0 to 5.5 and have a denier less than 12 dpf.
2. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of the phosphorus to the zinc is at least 0.01:1.
3. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the phosphorous comes from a phosphorous compound that comprises benzene phosphinic acid, phosphorous acid or manganese hypophosphite, or combinations thereof.
4. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer comprises PA6, PA66, PA6T/66, PA6, PA6/6T, PA6T/6I, PA6T/6116, PA6T/6, PA6T/6I/66, PA6T/MPMDT, PA610, PA612, PA6/66, PA6T, PA6I, PA6I/66, PA66/6I/6T, PA66-6, PA10, PA11, or PA12, or copolymers or terpolymers thereof.
5. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer consists of polyamide.
6. The polymer composition of claim 1 , further comprising copper.
7. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer composition is hydrophilic.
8. Antimicrobial fibers comprising:
from 50 wt % to 99.9 wt % of a thermoplastic polymer;
from 5 wppm to 900 wppm of zinc from a zinc compound comprising zinc oxide, zinc ammonium adipate, zinc acetate, zinc ammonium carbonate, zinc stearate, zinc phenyl phosphinic acid, or zinc pyrithione, or combinations thereof; and
less than 1 wt % of phosphorous;
wherein the weight ratio of the zinc to the phosphorous is at least 1.5:1 or less than 0.5:1;
wherein the antimicrobial fibers are formed from a polymer composition and the polymer composition has a relative viscosity ranging from 25 to 70;
wherein the fibers have an average fiber diameter less than 20 microns and a denier less than 12 dpf;
wherein the fibers demonstrate a Klebsiella Pneumoniae reduction greater than 95% as measured by ISO 20743:2013 and a zinc retention rate of greater than 20% when tested in a dye bath test with dyeing at a pH of 4.0 to 5.5.
9. The fibers of claim 8 , wherein the fibers demonstrate a zinc retention rate of greater than 24% when tested in a dye bath test.
10. The fibers of claim 8 , wherein the molar ratio of the phosphorus to the zinc in the polymer composition is at least 0.01:1.
11. The polymer composition of claim 8 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer comprises PA6, PA66, PA6T/66, PA6, PA6/6T, PA6T/6I, PA6T/6116, PA6T/6, PA6T/6I/66, PA6T/MPMDT, PA610, PA612, PA6/66, PA6T, PA6I, PA6I/66, PA66/6I/6T, PA66-6, PA10, PA11, or PA12, or copolymers or terpolymers thereof.
12. The fibers of claim 8 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer consists of polyamide.
13. The fibers of claim 8 , further comprising copper.
14. The fibers of claim 8 , wherein the fibers are hydrophilic.