Improvement of polypropylene nonwoven fabric antibacterial properties by the direct fluorination

Abstract

An one-step “dry” method of direct fluorination was applied to highly improve antibacterial properties of polypropylene nonwoven fabric. A treatment of polypropylene nonwoven fabric with F₂/N₂ mixture highly improved the barrier antibacterial properties with respect to test bacteria – Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (total reproduction suppression) and partially for Gram-negative Escherichia coli. A treatment with F₂/N₂/O₂ mixture totally suppressed Candida albicans microfungus reproduction. Polypropylene nonwoven fabric tensile strength was slightly increased after fluorination.