KR20230139869A - Method of manufacuring an antibacterial pet fiber using an antibacterial zeollite - Google Patents

Abstract

In the method of producing an antibacterial fiber, zinc cations (Zn ²⁺ ) are introduced through a first cation exchange reaction with sodium cations present in the crystal structure of zeolite used as a carrier, and the zinc cations are introduced into the zeolite. Copper cations (Cu ²⁺ ) are introduced through a second cation exchange reaction with sodium cations.

Description

Method for manufacturing antibacterial fiber using zeolite antibacterial agent {METHOD OF MANUFACURING AN ANTIBACTERIAL PET FIBER USING AN ANTIBACTERIAL ZEOLLITE}

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for producing antibacterial fibers using a zeolite antibacterial agent. More specifically, it relates to a method of producing an antibacterial fiber manufactured using a zeolite antibacterial agent produced through a cation exchange reaction between sodium cations, copper cations, and zinc cations.

Recently, as interest in hygiene has increased, interest in antibacterial materials has increased in food, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, electronic products, and textiles. Various harmful microorganisms that live on clothing and skin not only proliferate within a short period of time in an environment where growth is possible, lowering the strength of the fiber, causing discoloration and odor, but also causing various diseases in the human body. Therefore, as demands for cleanliness and comfort increase, antibacterial functions are required for textile products, including clothing.

In accordance with the needs of the times, various antibacterial agents are being developed and used. Antibacterial agents added to prevent bacterial growth can be broadly classified into organic and inorganic. Organic antibacterial agents mainly use the effect of dissolution of the drug, and have the effect of preventing the formation of bacterial colonies rather than sterilizing them.

Meanwhile, inorganic antibacterial agents are mainly made by substituting antibacterial metal ions with inorganic materials such as zeolite, calcium phosphate, zirconium phosphate, and silica gel, and are currently used in various fields such as most plastic products, paper, and textiles. The temporary antibacterial effect of the inorganic antibacterial agent is not superior to that of the organic antibacterial agent, but its application area is expanding because it has high heat resistance and safety to the human body, does not produce resistant bacteria, and has an almost semi-permanent antibacterial duration.

Methods for imparting antibacterial properties to textile products include a yarn modification method that applies an antibacterial agent at the polymer stage of the fiber and a post-processing method applied at the dyeing stage. In the case of synthetic fibers or regenerated fibers, a yarn modification method is possible, but cotton yarn is In this case, it must be processed using a post-processing method.

Meanwhile, even in the post-treatment method, the process of adsorbing an antibacterial agent to the surface of the fiber has poor washing resistance, and when the antibacterial agent is mixed with a reactive resin and heat set, the tactile feel deteriorates. Organosilicone-based quaternary ammonium salts, which are non-eludable antibacterial agents, have excellent durability by dealcoholizing trialkoxy silyl groups and hydroxyl groups on the fiber surface, but are difficult to handle and expensive due to the high reactivity of trialkoxy.

Looking at antibacterial fibers according to the prior art, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2003-008122 discloses an antibacterial fiber manufactured by quaternizing chitosan, a natural substance, and treating the fiber with an antibacterial composition with enhanced cationic properties, Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-1999-030395 discloses an antibacterial fiber manufactured by infiltrating an inorganic antibacterial agent, which is an environmentally friendly natural material such as zeolite or ceramic, and treating the fiber as a binder with a resin.

The antibacterial fiber according to the prior art has a problem in that the antibacterial effect of the antibacterial agent included during manufacture is minimal, and in particular, it has characteristics that are harmful to the human body or the antibacterial material coated during manufacture falls off, resulting in a decrease in washing durability, etc. In particular, if the antibacterial agent is thickly applied to the surface of the fiber or the content of the antibacterial agent is increased during melt spinning to improve washing durability, etc., there is a problem that spinning workability is deteriorated. In addition, there is a disadvantage in that the amount of antibacterial agent used increases, making the product more expensive, and other functionalities such as flexibility and lightness of the manufactured antibacterial fiber are deteriorated.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for manufacturing antibacterial fibers using a zeolite antibacterial agent, which can achieve improved antibacterial effect, washing durability, and excellent spinning workability.

In the method for producing antibacterial fibers of embodiments of the present invention, zinc cations (Zn ²⁺ ) are introduced through a first cation exchange reaction with sodium cations present in the crystal structure of zeolite used as a carrier, Copper cations (Cu ²⁺ ) are introduced into the zeolite into which zinc cations have been introduced through a second cation exchange reaction with sodium cations.

The zinc cations and copper cations are introduced, the zeolite containing sodium cations, copper cations, and zinc cations is pulverized and classified to form zeolite powder, and the zeolite powder is heat-treated to form a zeolite antibacterial agent.

Next, the zeolite antibacterial agent is mixed with a thermoplastic resin to form a mixture, and the mixture is melt-spun to form antibacterial fibers.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the first and second cation exchange reactions may be performed under conditions of pH 6 to pH 9.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the crystal structure of the zeolite may include at least one of A-type, X-type, and Y-type zeolites.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the thermoplastic resin is selected from the group consisting of PP (Polypropylene), PE (Polyethylene), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), EVA (Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate), Nylon, and PET (polyethylene terephthalate). There can be more than one.

According to the method of manufacturing an antibacterial fiber using a zeolite antibacterial agent according to the present invention, the antibacterial property is maximized by controlling the molar ratio of sodium cations, copper cations, and zinc cations in the zeolite through a cation exchange reaction. In addition, the durability of antibacterial properties is good and fastness is high, so the antibacterial function is maintained semi-permanently.

Furthermore, the textile fiber manufactured including the zeolite antibacterial agent according to the present invention can prevent the risk of secondary infection by maintaining excellent antibacterial properties even after repeated washing, and it is possible to reduce the amount of the zeolite antibacterial agent used. In particular, it has excellent radioactivity. It has the effect of stably manufacturing yarn.

1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing antibacterial polyester yarn according to embodiments of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a micrograph of a zeolite antibacterial agent prepared through a cation exchange reaction according to the present invention.
Figure 3 is a configuration diagram illustrating a spinning device for implementing a method for manufacturing antibacterial polyester yarn according to embodiments of the present invention.
Figure 4 shows the results of antibacterial evaluation of textile products woven with antibacterial polyester yarn manufactured according to the method for manufacturing antibacterial polyester yarn according to embodiments of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing antibacterial polyester yarn according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Since the present invention can be subject to various changes and can have various forms, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a specific disclosed form, and should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. While describing each drawing, similar reference numerals are used for similar components. In the attached drawings, the dimensions of the structures are enlarged from the actual size for clarity of the present invention.

Terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, a first component may be named a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be named a first component without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The terms used in this application are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this application, terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but are not intended to indicate the presence of one or more other features. It should be understood that this does not exclude in advance the possibility of the existence or addition of elements, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related technology, and unless explicitly defined in the present application, should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal sense. No.

1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing antibacterial polyester yarn according to embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 is a micrograph of a zeolite antibacterial agent prepared through a cation exchange reaction according to the present invention. Figure 3 is a configuration diagram illustrating a spinning device for implementing a method for manufacturing antibacterial polyester yarn according to embodiments of the present invention.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the zeolite antibacterial agent produced through a cation exchange reaction, as shown in FIG. 1, includes zeolite as a carrier, sodium cations introduced into the crystal structure of the zeolite, and a cation exchange reaction with the sodium cations. It may include copper cations and zinc cations introduced through.

Typically, the zeolite is a crystalline aluminosilicate, and tetrahedra of AlO ₄ and SiO ₄ are combined to form a sodalite unit (β-cCue) with 8 hexagonal faces and 6 tetragonal faces. Additionally, zeolite has the structure of Na ₁₂ {SiO ₂ ·AlO ₂ } ₁₂ ·xH ₂ O.

There are many types of zeolites and they have adsorption separation and ion exchange capabilities, so they are widely used as catalysts, adsorbents, ion exchange resins, catalyst supports, etc.

Zeolites for producing the zeolite antibacterial agent according to the present invention include A-type zeolite, It may be any one selected from the group consisting of nonite, but A-type zeolite, X-type zeolite and Y-type zeolite are particularly preferred.

The structural formulas and Si/Al ratios of the A-type zeolite, X-type zeolite, and Y-type zeolite are shown in Table 1 below.

division constitutional formula Si/Al ratio Type A zeolite Na ₁₂ {SiO ₂ ·AlO ₂ } ₁₂ ·27H ₂ O 1.0 X type zeolite Na ₁₂ {SiO ₂ ·AlO ₂ } ₁₂ ·26H ₂ O 1.2 Y-type zeolite Na ₁₂ {SiO ₂ ·AlO ₂ } ₁₂ ·253H ₂ O 2.4

Since negative charges are formed in the zeolite by aluminum atoms in the structure, cations such as sodium and copper are present to adjust the imbalance of these charges, making the overall charge neutral.

The zeolite antibacterial agent according to the present invention exchanges a portion of the sodium cation (Na+), which exists as a cation in the skeletal structure of the zeolite used as a carrier, into copper cation (Cu ²⁺ ) and zinc cation (Zn ²⁺ ) through a cation exchange reaction. It can be manufactured by exchanging .

That is, zeolite (hereinafter Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite) prepared by exchanging copper cations and zinc cations with sodium cations as described above has the composition ratio of cations included in the structure of the zeolite: sodium cation: copper cation: zinc. It is preferable that the molar ratio of cations is 2.3 to 6.3:0.03 to 0.07:1.8 to 5.8.

By configuring the molar ratio of cations as described above, the molecular structural formula of the zeolite antibacterial agent according to the present invention is Na2.3~6.3 Cu0.03~0.07 Zn1.8~5.8 {SiO2·AlO2}12·xH2O.

By configuring the molar ratio of copper cations as described above, it is possible to manufacture a zeolite antibacterial agent with the best antibacterial effect.

That is, the zeolite antibacterial agent according to the present invention contains sodium cations, copper cations, and zinc cations, and the sodium cations, copper cations, and zinc cations exist in an ionic bond within the zeolite. Zeolite (hereinafter referred to as Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite) containing sodium cations, copper cations, and zinc cations releases copper cations and zinc cations as an antibacterial substance in water, and the copper cations and zinc eluted into water as described above. Cations are combined with atomic groups such as thiol group, amino group, imidazole group, and carboxylate group that exist in bacteria or microorganisms. It has been reported that copper or zinc cations bind to these atomic groups, thereby interfering with the respiration process or electron transfer process of bacteria or microorganisms, thereby killing the bacteria or microorganisms due to respiratory and metabolic disorders. In addition, oxygen bound to the zeolite antibacterial agent or dissolved oxygen in water is partially converted into active oxygen such as O2+, O2-, or O by the catalytic action of the zeolite antibacterial agent itself. Such active oxygen is reported to exert a strong sterilizing effect like ozone or hydrogen peroxide.

As far as the antibacterial activity of the zeolite antibacterial agent can be maximized when the molar ratio of sodium cations: copper cations: zinc cations is 2.3 to 6.3: 0.03 to 0.07: 1.8 to 5.8. In addition, if it is outside the above range, the antibacterial activity may be reduced, and there may be a problem that the cation exchange reaction does not occur smoothly or copper cations are wasted.

Hereinafter, a method for producing antibacterial fiber using the zeolite antibacterial agent according to the present invention will be described.

That is, the method for producing an antibacterial fiber according to the present invention is to produce zinc cations (Zn ²⁺ ) through a first cation exchange reaction with sodium cations present in the crystal structure of zeolite used as a carrier, as shown in Figure 1. ) is introduced (S100); Copper cations (Cu ²⁺ ) are introduced into the zeolite into which the zinc cations have been introduced through a second cation exchange reaction with the sodium cations. Next, the zinc cations and copper cations are introduced, and the zeolite containing sodium cations, copper cations, and zinc cations, that is, Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite, is pulverized and classified to form zeolite powder (S300)

Thereafter, the zeolite powder is heat treated (S400), and the heat treated Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite is mixed with a thermoplastic resin to form a mixture (S500). Antibacterial fiber is manufactured by melt spinning the mixture (S600).

In step S100, zeolite into which zinc cations (Zn ²⁺ ) are introduced through a first cation exchange reaction with sodium cations present in the crystal structure of the zeolite is manufactured. At this time, according to the present invention, it is particularly preferable to use any one zeolite selected from the group including A-type zeolite, X-type zeolite, and Y-type zeolite.

As described above, in order to introduce zinc cations into the zeolite structure through a cation exchange reaction with sodium cations present in the zeolite crystal structure, water is added to a first reaction tank equipped with a stirrer and capable of temperature control, and zeolite is added while stirring. At this time, while maintaining the temperature of the first reaction tank at 30 to 80° C., nitric acid is added to adjust the pH to 6 to 9.

Additionally, water is added to the second reaction tank and zinc sulfate is added while stirring. It is preferable that the second reaction tank also has a stirrer and is capable of temperature control. At this time, zinc sulfate is dissolved in the introduced water while maintaining the temperature of the second reaction tank at 30 to 80°C. As described above, water in which zinc sulfate is dissolved in the second reaction tank is gradually added to the first reaction tank.

As described above, water in which zinc sulfate is dissolved is introduced into the first reaction tank, and when the temperature is maintained at 30 to 80° C. while stirring, the sodium cations and zinc cations present in the zeolite are exchanged with each other. At this time, the first cation exchange reaction time for exchanging zinc cations and sodium cations to introduce the zinc cations into the structure of the zeolite is preferably 10 to 12 hours.

Subsequently, the first zeolite into which the zinc cation is introduced is formed.

More specifically, after removing various impurities present in the first and second reaction tanks using distilled water, a second cation exchange reaction is performed.

That is, copper cations are introduced into the first zeolite structure into which zinc cations are introduced. In order to introduce copper cations as described above, water is added to the first reaction tank and the first zeolite into which zinc cations are introduced is added while stirring. At this time, while maintaining the temperature of the first reaction tank at 30 to 80° C., nitric acid is added to adjust the pH to 6 to 9.

Meanwhile, distilled water was added to the second reaction tank and copper nitrate (Cu(NO ₃ ) ₂ ) was added and dissolved while stirring. At this time, copper nitrate is dissolved while maintaining the temperature of the second reaction tank at 30 to 80°C. As described above, water in which copper nitrate is dissolved in the second reaction tank is gradually added to the first reaction tank into which the first zeolite into which the zinc cation has been introduced is added.

After the water in which copper nitrate is dissolved is introduced into the first reaction tank as described above, and the temperature is maintained at 30 to 80 ° C while stirring, the sodium cations and copper cations remaining in the zeolite into which the zinc cations are introduced are exchanged with each other. do. At this time, the second cation exchange reaction time for exchanging copper cations and sodium cations to introduce the copper cations into the structure of the zeolite is preferably 4 to 6 hours.

As described above, the zeolite into which zinc cations and copper cations are introduced, that is, Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite, is collected and dehydrated and dried.

In the first and second cation exchange reactions, when the pH of the first reaction tank is adjusted to 6 to 9, H+ ions and OH- ions can be formed more easily in the aqueous solution than in water, and these serve as a catalyst for copper cation exchange. By doing so, the reaction speed is further increased. Accordingly, the first and second cation exchange reactions can occur smoothly.

As described above, during the first cation exchange reaction and the second cation exchange reaction, the molar ratio of sodium cations, copper cations, and zinc cations is 23 to 63:003 to 007:18 through reaction conditions such as temperature and pH of the reaction tank and reaction time. It can be controlled as in ~58.

Afterwards, the Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite dried as above is pulverized and classified to form zeolite powder (S300). At this time, the particle size of the Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite can be adjusted.

The Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite formed in step S200 is agglomerated by attraction in the presence of moisture and has an average particle size of 1 ㎛ or more. As described above, when the average particle size is 1㎛ or more, the particle size is large and dispersibility is poor, making it unsuitable for melt spinning by mixing with a thermoplastic resin.

This coarsening or agglomeration shape of the zeolite inevitably reduces the excellent effects such as antibacterial properties by half, deteriorates the physical properties of the antibacterial fiber produced, that is, the performance of the polymer, and especially makes it impossible to manufacture it in the form of a fiber or film.

Therefore, in the present invention, in order to use the Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite prepared as above as a zeolite antibacterial agent, it is subjected to a crushing and classification process to have an average particle size of 500 to 800 nm in step (S300).

According to the present invention, the grinding process in step S300 may be performed using any grinder selected from an air jet mill, ball mill, rod mill, and attrition mill, and the classification may be performed using any grinder selected from an air classifier and a wet cyclone. It can be performed using one classifier.

That is, Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite prepared through the first cation exchange reaction (S100) and the second cation exchange reaction (S200) can be used by grinding and classifying as necessary. Having an average particle size of 500 to 800 nm is superior in terms of usability.

It is particularly preferable that the grinding process for pulverizing the dehydrated and aggregated Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite according to the present invention is performed by an air jet-mill, and the aggregated Na-Cu-Zn- It can be performed by mutual collision and friction of zeolites.

The air jet mill sprays high-pressure compressed air from a nozzle onto the aggregated Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite supplied to the grinding chamber, thereby grinding the Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite through mutual collision and friction.

At this time, Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite that has been pulverized below a certain size is discharged to the outside through the classification chamber, and if it is above a certain size, it is put back into the pulverization chamber and re-grinded. Accordingly, the agglomerated Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite can be continuously pulverized.

The Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite ground as described above is classified and only Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite zeolite powder with an average particle size of 500 to 800 nanometers is taken. According to the present invention, it is preferable to use an air classifier in the classification process.

Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite having the above size range is taken and the remaining zeolite is recycled to the grinding process.

Next, the Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite powder is heat treated (S400). The heat treatment process may be performed at 200 to 400° C. for 20 to 40 hours.

Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite powder does not aggregate when dried, but when moisture is present, it aggregates and the average particle size increases. Therefore, the heat treatment described above prevents agglomeration by removing moisture present in the zeolite. Thereby, the production of the zeolite antibacterial agent can be completed.

Afterwards, the heat-treated Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite powder is mixed with the thermoplastic resin to form a mixture (S500). As a result, the Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite can be melt-spun into fiber by mixing it with a thermoplastic resin.

According to the present invention, the thermoplastic resin is at least one selected from the group consisting of PP (PolyPropylene), PE (PolyEthylene), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), EVA (Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate), Nylon, and PET (polyethylene terephthalate). desirable.

By mixing Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite with the thermoplastic resin as described above, the Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite exists on the surface of the thermoplastic resin. Accordingly, it can sufficiently cause metabolic disorders in bacteria that come into contact with the Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite. This creates the effect that the entire thermoplastic resin has an antibacterial function.

Looking at the process of manufacturing fibers by mixing Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite with a thermoplastic resin, the thermoplastic resin mixed with Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite as described above has excellent flowability and spinning properties and has a good cross-sectional shape. Manufacturing of yarn becomes possible.

The zeolite antibacterial agent according to the present invention having the three-dimensional skeletal structure, that is, Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite powder, has a large specific surface area and excellent heat resistance, making it possible to manufacture fibers through melt spinning. In addition, the Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite has semi-permanent antibacterial activity, so it can be applied to a variety of textile products.

It is preferable to melt-spun by mixing 05 to 2% by weight of Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite prepared as above and 98 to 995% by weight of thermoplastic resin.

According to the present invention, a master batch containing Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite prepared as described above can be prepared and mixed with a thermoplastic resin, and after mixing as described above, spinning is provided with a spinneret for conventional melt spinning. Fiberization is possible by melt-spinning by putting it into the device.

That is, the antibacterial polyester yarn according to the present invention is manufactured by mixing a thermoplastic resin and the Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite, that is, a zeolite antibacterial agent, using a melt spinning device 100 as shown in FIG. 3, and melt spinning the mixture. You can.

Referring to FIG. 3, the general polyester resin or recycled polyester resin is melted at a melting temperature and then spun through a spinneret 10, and the spinneret 10 is spun to obtain an optimal spinning draft. The size of the formed orifice is preferably 03 to 04 mm, and L/D (length/diameter) is preferably 25 to 30.

As described above, the polyester yarn 20 exiting the spinneret 10 is cooled by the cooling wind generated from the cooling wind supply device 30. At this time, the speed of the cooling wind is preferably 04 to 06 m/sec, and the temperature is preferably 14 to 18°C.

An emulsion of 8 to 12% by weight based on the weight of the yarn is applied to the yarn 20 cooled as described above through the upper oiling roller 40 and the lower oiling roller 50.

In the present invention, the amount of emulsion attached to the upper oiling roller 40 and the lower oiling roller 50 is preferably 8 to 12% by weight, because the filament yarn may break due to an increase in tension in the subsequent air entanglement process. This is because the increase in tension due to friction when passing through the guide must be minimized by increasing the amount of emulsion attached.

Afterwards, after passing through the first godet roller (60), it is stretched at a draw ratio of 120 to 140 between the second godet roller (70). By winding the polyester yarn stretched as described above in the winder 80, the production of the antibacterial polyester yarn according to the present invention can be completed.

On the other hand, since the Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite has a microporous structure and has a high moisture content due to the microporous structure, the moisture content of the thermoplastic resin is adjusted to prevent a decrease in the degree of polymerization of the thermoplastic resin due to hydrolysis during melt spinning. It is desirable to manage it below 30 ppm.

In addition, in the present invention, a fiber manufactured using Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite as the zeolite antibacterial agent has been described, but it is also possible to manufacture it into a film or molded product.

A polyester resin containing 10% by weight of Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite, a zeolite antibacterial agent prepared as described above, was melt-spun to produce yarn, which was then woven into a plain weave. Afterwards, as shown in Figure 4, an antibacterial test was conducted after washing 10 times based on KS K 0693 (Antibacterial Test Method for Textile Materials), and the results are shown in Table 2.

strain Bacteriostatic reduction rate note Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 99.9% After washing 10 times Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 4352 99.9%

Looking at Table 2, it can be seen that the polyester fabric containing the zeolite antibacterial agent according to the present invention exhibits a bacteriostatic reduction rate of 999% against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 and Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 4352 strains after being washed 10 times.

Typically, bacteria are identified through Gram staining. In other words, Gram-negative bacteria refers to a group of bacteria that do not maintain the color of the crystal violet reagent when Gram staining is performed using the crystal violet reagent. Additionally, Gram-positive bacteria refer to bacteria that are stained royal blue or purple when gram-stained using a crystal violet reagent.

Copper cations are more resistant to Gram-negative bacteria, and zinc cations are more resistant to Gram-positive bacteria. Therefore, zeolite containing copper cations and zinc cations alone may exhibit low antibacterial activity.

Na-Cu-Zn-Zeolite, a zeolite antibacterial agent according to the present invention, contains both copper cations and zinc cations in its structure, so it can show excellent antibacterial properties against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. In addition, by having copper cations and zinc cations at the same time, it has the characteristic of exhibiting a synergistic antibacterial effect.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following patent claims. You will understand that it is possible.

Claims (4)

Introducing zinc cations (Zn ²⁺ ) through a first cation exchange reaction with sodium cations present in the crystal structure of zeolite used as a carrier;
Introducing copper cations (Cu ²⁺ ) into the zeolite into which the zinc cations have been introduced through a second cation exchange reaction with sodium cations;
introducing the zinc cations and copper cations, crushing and classifying the zeolite containing sodium cations, copper cations, and zinc cations to form zeolite powder;
heat-treating the zeolite powder to form a zeolite antibacterial agent;
mixing the zeolite antibacterial agent with a thermoplastic resin to form a mixture; and
A method of producing an antibacterial fiber comprising forming an antibacterial fiber by melt spinning the mixture. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second cation exchange reactions are performed under conditions of pH 6 to pH 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the crystal structure of the zeolite includes at least one of A-type, X-type, and Y-type zeolites. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic resin is at least one selected from the group consisting of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), nylon, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). A method of manufacturing an antibacterial fiber, characterized in that.