WO2001038615A1

WO2001038615A1 - Monofilament synthetic fiber

Info

Publication number: WO2001038615A1
Application number: PCT/EP2000/011452
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Michel; Hans Hinterkeuser
Original assignee: Hahl Filaments Gmbh & Co. Kg
Priority date: 1999-11-24
Filing date: 2000-11-18
Publication date: 2001-05-31
Also published as: DE19956398A1

Abstract

The aim of the invention is to improve a polymer-based monofilament synthetic fiber in such a way that said fiber has antibacterial properties, essentially without complicating the production process. To this end, said monofilament synthetic fiber consists of a mixture of 0.1 to 3 wt. % of a silver compound in the power form added to 100 wt. % of a polymer.

Description

"Monofilament synthetic fiber"

The invention relates to a monofilament synthetic fiber based on polymers.

Monofilament synthetic fibers from a wide variety of polymer fibers, such as PA, PBT, PE, PP, ABS, PS, PVC and the like, are known. Such monofilaments are used, for example, for the production of brushes of all kinds and for the production of fabrics and sieves (for paper machines). Especially in the field of oral, personal and food hygiene, such bristles can only be used for a certain period of time, since bacteria form easily on the bristles, especially when used in a moist environment.

Antibacterial yarns are generally known in the textile industry. For example, DE 197 22 932 AI describes an antibacterial yarn, in particular a knitting yarn, which consists of a core thread which is surrounded by one or more antibacterial threads, to which in turn one or more cover threads are applied. Such yarns thus consist of a plurality of threads of different composition, i.e. H . it is obviously not monofilament synthetic fibers, which are usually produced in a completely different way using the extrusion process. From JP 0006287811 AA an antifungal yarn for the production of socks is known, which has minor proportions of silver oxide. However, such yarns are not monofilaments.

For example from WO 98/06260 it is generally known that compositions containing silver have antibacterial properties. However, this document does not contain any information in connection with monofilament synthetic fibers.

The object of the invention is to provide a monofilament synthetic fiber which has antibacterial properties without a significantly greater production outlay.

This object is achieved according to the invention with a monofilament synthetic fiber based on polymer, which consists of a mixture of 0.1 to 3% by weight of a powdery silver compound and ad 100% by weight of a polymer.

It has surprisingly been found that it is possible to produce monofilament synthetic fibers with the abovementioned composition without significantly greater production outlay, in which, before the actual production process, granular crude product, which consists of the respective polymer, is mixed with a granulate containing a silver compound and then from these mixed granules in a conventional manner, for example in Extrusion process creates a monofilament. It has been found that in such a monofilament synthetic fiber, silver ions are released via the bristles when in contact with water, which produce the antibacterial effect. If the optical appearance of the monofilament deteriorates due to the addition of silver, suitable additives, such as optical brighteners, can of course also be added to the starting granulate.

The silver compound is preferably selected so that it releases silver ions upon contact with water. A silver compound has proven to be particularly suitable, which is a silver oxide which is incorporated into dissolved glass.

As a base material, the monofilament synthetic fiber can consist of a wide variety of polymers, for example PA, PBT, PE, PP, ABS, PS or PVC or combinations thereof.

To produce a monofilament synthetic fiber of the type described above, the invention also proposes a method which is characterized in that granules of a polymer as the base material are mixed with a powdery silver compound and the mixture is produced from the mixture by an extrusion process, the monofilament synthetic fiber. Such a monofilament synthetic fiber can be used in particular for bristles, in particular for toothbrushes or body care brushes. It is also particularly preferred to use such a synthetic fiber as a bristle in food hygiene.

A monofilament synthetic fiber according to the invention can preferably also be used as an endless monofilament for filtration fabrics in the hygiene and food industry and for medical and medical technology applications.

The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments.

Example 1 ;

State-of-the-art synthetic fibers made from pure polyamide are used as the starting sample. These samples serve as comparison samples in the later test. Thereafter, antibacterial synthetic fibers are produced as test fibers under the same process conditions. These fibers additionally each contain 5% by weight of a silver glass batch as active substance (20% fill level of silver glass, corresponds to 1% by weight of silver glass in the end product), which produces the antibacterial effect. Silver glass is a modified glass in which the amorphous basic structure Storage is changed so that a well-dosed release of silver ions is guaranteed in later use. In comparative tests, the fibers are treated and not treated under an inocculu under defined test conditions. After the incubation, the colony numbers are evaluated for evaluation. The effectiveness against the following bacteria was tested:

1) Escherichia Coli (IFO strain 3972)

The fibers (100 pieces 3 cm long) are placed flat in a Petri dish and inoculated with 0.2 ml of the inoculum, which has 8 x 10 * germs at the start of the test. The bowl is sealed with a protective film and cultivated for 24 hours at 35 ° C. In both cases, the germs are counted in the thermal chamber and the ratio is assessed.

2) Staphylococcus aureus (IFO strain 12732)

In this test, 0.4 g of the fiber is wetted with 0.2 ml of the nutrient solution (starting count 1 × 10 ⁵ ), the dish is closed and cultivated at 35 ° C. for 24 hours. The difference from the difference in the number of bacteria is assessed. 3) Streptococcus mutans (IFO strain 13955)

The fibers spread out flat in the Petri dish (100 pieces, 3 cm long) are poured with a 50% bread made from tomato juice (number of mutans 10 ⁵ ) and cultivated for 24 hours. At the end of the test, the fibers are rinsed out with pure tomato juice broth. The bread obtained is plated on an agar and the germs are counted.

Test results:

Test 1)

Start 24 hours later reduction (Z)

Antibacterial _{3 x} ιo * 99.6

Normal _{1 x} ιo ⁷

Inocculum 8 x 10 * 4 x 10 ⁶

Test 2)

Exponent reduction begins 24 hours later

Antibacterial 3 x 10 * 4.0 3.0 Normal _{3 x} ιo ⁷ 7.5 -0.5

Inoculum lx lO ⁵ lx 10 ⁷ 7.0 Test 3)

Beginning 24 hours later reduction (2)

Antibacterial <10 ^ 99.6

Normal 4 x 10 '

Inocculum 6x10 "3x10"

In methods 1) and 3) a value greater than 99% is expected to be antibacterially effective, in test 2) a value greater than 2.2. All test conditions are met, the fibers can be described as fully antibacterial.

Example 2:

Corresponding tests were also carried out with synthetic fibers made from pure PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) and with those containing additional antibacterial agents. These fibers additionally contain 2.5% by weight of a silver glass batch as active ingredient (20% fill level silver glass, corresponds to 0.5% by weight silver glass in the end product), which produces the antibacterial effect. The following test results were obtained under the same test conditions as in Example 1: Test 1)

Start 24 hours later reduction (Z)

Antibacterial <1 x 10 ² 99.99

Normal 2 x 10 ⁶

Inoculum 1 x 10 ³ 7 x 10 ⁶

Test 2)

Start 24 hours later Reduction (X)

Antibacterial <1 x 10 ^z 99.99

Normal 5 x 10 ⁶

Inocculum 1 x 10 '6 x 10 ⁶

Test 3)

Beginning 24 hours later reduction (l)

Antibacterial 1 ιo ³ 99.98

Normal 6 x 10 ⁶

Inocculum 8 x 10 * lx 10 ⁵

As can be seen from these test results, a comparably good antibacterial effect of the PBT fiber designed according to the invention was found.

Claims

Claims:

1. Monofilament synthetic fiber based on polymer, consisting of a mixture of 0.1 to 3% by weight of a powdery silver compound and ad 100% by weight of a polymer.

2. Monofilament synthetic fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that the silver compound is designed so that it releases silver ions when in contact with water.

3. Monofilament synthetic fiber according to claim 2, characterized in that the silver compound is a silver oxide which is incorporated in dissolved glass.

4. Monofilament synthetic fiber according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the polymer is selected from PA, PBT, PE, PP, ABS, PS or PVC or combinations thereof.

5. A method for producing a monofilament synthetic fiber according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that a granulate of a polymer as the base material is mixed with a powdery silver compound and from the Mixing by an extrusion process the monofilament synthetic fiber is produced.

6. Use of a monofilament synthetic fiber according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 for bristles, in particular for tooth and body care brushes.

7. Use of a monofilament synthetic fiber according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 as bristles in food hygiene.

8. Use of a monofilament synthetic fiber according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 as an endless onofil, in particular for filtration fabrics in the hygiene and food industry and for medical technology applications.