Antibacterial and deodorant fiber, fiber formed article, and fiber product

1. An antibacterial and deodorant fiber containing zinc oxide and/or complex oxide represented by General Formula (1) below in the range of 0.1 to 10 wt % with respect to the total weight of the fiber:

M 2+ (1-x 1 )M 3+ x 1 -δ O  (1)

wherein M 2+ represents zinc or a divalent metal having zinc as an essential component thereof; M 3+ represents a trivalent metal selected from Al, Fe, and Ce; x 1 represents a number in the range 0<x 1 <0.5; and δ represents a cation lattice defect,

said fiber characterized in that a fiber treatment agent comprising at least a component (A), and a component (B)and/or a component (C)described below is attached thereto at 0.2 to 5 wt % of the total weight of the fiber, the fiber treatment agent containing 20 to 80 wt % of the component (A), and 80 to 20 wt % of the component (B) and/or component (C):

(A) at least one plant extract, said plant being at least one selected from the group consisting of tea leaves, aloe, bamboo, bamboo grass, Japanese butterbur ( Petasites japonica ), loofa ( Luffa cylindrica ), horsetail ( Equisetum arvense ), Japanese mugwort ( Artemisia princeps ), geranium ( Geranium nepalense var. thunbergii), persimmon, and grapefruit;

(B) at least one nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of an alkylene oxide adduct type nonionic surfactant and a polyhydric alcohol type nonionic surfactant;

(C) at least one anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of a carboxylic acid salt, sulfonic acid salt, sulfuric acid ester salt, and phosphoric acid ester salt.

2. The antibacterial and deodorant fiber according to claim 1 , characterized in that the polyphenols contained in the plant extract are 1 to 20 wt % with respect to the weight of the fiber treatment agent.

3. The antibacterial and deodorant fiber according to claim 1 , characterized in that the attached amount of the component (A) is at least 0.1 wt % with respect to the total weight of the fiber.

4. The antibacterial and deodorant fiber according to claim 1 , characterized in that the alkylene oxide adduct nonionic surfactant of the component (B) is selected from the group consisting of a polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether, a polyoxyalkylene alkyl phenol, a polyoxyalkylene higher fatty acid ester, a polyoxyalkylene polyhydric alcohol higher fatty acid ester, a polyoxyalkylene higher aliphatic amine, a polyoxyalkylene higher fatty acid amide, and a polyoxyalkylene alkyl alkanol amide.

5. The antibacterial and deodorant fiber according to claim 1 , characterized in that the polyhydric alcohol nonionic surfactant of the component (B) is selected from the group consisting of a higher fatty acid ester of glycerin, pentaerythritol, sorbitan, or sorbitol; a sucrose fatty acid ester; and a higher fatty acid alkanol amide.

6. The antibacterial and deodorant fiber according to claim 1 , characterized in that the fiber is a conjugate fiber containing at least two types of thermoplastic resin.

7. The antibacterial and deodorant fiber according to claim 6 , which is a sheath-core type conjugate fiber, at least one type of the thermoplastic resin being a polyolefin resin, and the resin being located in the sheath member thereof.

8. The antibacterial and deodorant fiber according to claim 1 , characterized in that the antibacterial and deodorant fiber is a conjugate fiber, and the above metal oxide is kneaded and mixed into the sheath member thereof.

9. A fiber formed article using the antibacterial and deodorant fiber according to claim 1 .

10. A fiber product using the fiber formed article according to claim 9 .