WO2009004158A2

WO2009004158A2 - Method for functionalising a textile substrate with antiseptic and/or virucidal property

Info

Publication number: WO2009004158A2
Application number: PCT/FR2008/000722
Authority: WO
Inventors: Claudine Colin; Philippe Le Thuaut
Original assignee: Lainiere De Picardie Bc
Priority date: 2007-05-29
Filing date: 2008-05-27
Publication date: 2009-01-08
Also published as: FR2916640A1; WO2009004158A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for functionalising a substrate with an active composition having an antiseptic and/or virucidal property, said method comprising the steps of: preparing a solution containing the active solution and an attachment agent having at least two groups reacting under ionising radiation, said solution further including a sol-gel organic matrix; impregnating the substrate with the solution; applying an ionising radiation on the impregnated substrate in order to form, by bridging reaction of the reactive groups, a network improving the attachment of the active composition to said substrate.

Description

Process for functionalizing a textile substrate with antiseptic and / or virucidal property

The invention relates to a method for functionalizing a substrate by means of an active composition with antiseptic and / or virucidal property, and a functionalized textile substrate by implementing such a method.

To impart antiseptic and / or virucidal properties to a substrate, in particular a textile substrate, it is known to functionalize it by means of an active composition based on at least one silver salt. Indeed, the silver salts are known for their antiseptic and / or virucidal property, that is to say their ability to destroy or limit the propagation of bacteria and / or viruses.

According to the prior art, the functionalization of the textile substrates is carried out by thermofixation of the active composition on said substrate. However, the fastening thus obtained is not sufficiently reliable, especially with regard to abrasion, frictional wear or oxidation, as well as any washings that the textile substrate has to undergo.

In addition, the fixing must be carried out at high temperature, typically greater than 180 ^° C., and for a period of time of the order of a minute, which many textile substrates can not withstand without being damaged.

According to the prior art, there is also the problem of the too small amount of active composition which is thermally fixed on a textile substrate, in particular of the order of less than 0.5% by weight.

In particular, the object of the invention is to propose a method for functionalizing a substrate which solves the problems mentioned above, so as in particular to provide a textile substrate whose antiseptic function and / or virucidal is maintained over time, even after more than five washing cycles at 60 ^° C.

For this purpose, and according to a first aspect, the invention proposes a method of functionalizing a substrate by means of an active composition with antiseptic and / or virucidal property, said method comprising the steps providing for:

- preparing a solution containing the active composition and a fixing agent having at least two reactive groups under ionizing radiation, said solution further comprising a sol-gel organic matrix;

- impregnate the substrate with the solution;

- Apply ionizing radiation on the impregnated substrate so, by bridging reaction reactive groups, to form a network improving the attachment of the active composition on said substrate.

According to a second aspect, the invention proposes a functionalized textile substrate by implementing such a method, said substrate comprising an active composition with antiseptic and / or virucidal property which is fixed on said substrate, and a network formed by bridging of the fixing agent.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description of various particular embodiments.

The invention relates to a method for functionalizing a substrate by means of an active composition with antiseptic and / or virucidal property. In one embodiment, the substrate is textile. However, other porous substrates such as foam blanks, films, threads, filaments, can be functionalized according to the invention.

In an exemplary embodiment, the active composition is based on at least one metal salt, especially a silver salt and / or a zinc salt which are known for their ability to destroy or limit the propagation. bacteria and / or viruses. In addition, the metal salts can impart antistatic properties to the functionalized substrate.

To reinforce and / or extend the spectrum of antiseptic and / or virucidal properties, the active composition may comprise several other types of active substances, in particular substances possessing one or more quaternary ammonium groups and / or a substance based on biguanides. In particular, the combination of a silver salt with a substance with a quaternary ammonium group has been reported to have virucidal properties against the coronavirus responsible for SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). In exemplary embodiments, it is possible to introduce into the active composition, trihydroxysilyl propyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium chloride (Aegis substance from Devan) or cationic antiseptic polymers such as Vantocil IB from Zeneca which is a polyhexamethylene biguanide.

The method provides for preparing a solution containing the active composition and a fixing agent having at least two reactive groups under ionizing radiation, said groups being identical or different. In particular, the solvent used is water so as to form an aqueous solution of active composition and fixing agent. Alternatively, the active composition may also comprise at least one active substance having a reactive group under ionizing radiation.

Reactive groups under ionizing radiation may comprise an unsaturated bond which, under the effect of ionizing radiation, forms a reactive free radical. The groups may be chosen from the group comprising hydroxyl, carboxyl, carbonyl, acrylate, methacrylate, amine, amide, imide and urethane groups.

In exemplary embodiments, the fixing agent is chosen from the group comprising glycidyl methacrylate (MAGLY), polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEG DA), dipropylene glycol diacrylate (DPGA), sulfopropyl potassium methacrylate (SPMK) and lauryl methacrylate or acrylate. Alternatively, different fixing agents can be dissolved. In addition, one or more fixing agents comprising three ionizing radiation reactive groups can be dissolved with the active composition.

The solution may also comprise at least one agent improving the homogeneity of the solution, for example an acrylic latex such as that marketed under the name HYCAR 26319 which improves the wetting. In one embodiment, the solution may comprise between 0.1 and 5% by weight of additives relative to the active composition.

The method then provides for impregnating the substrate with the prepared solution. The impregnation can be performed by padding. The textile substrate may be based on hydrophilic fibers so as to obtain a good wetting and thus a satisfactory rise of the solution in the textile substrate during the impregnation.

Furthermore, the calendering pressure during padding can be relatively low, in particular of the order of 1 to 2 bar, to allow a significant load with penetration and a homogeneous distribution of the solution in the textile substrate.

Then, ionizing radiation is applied to the textile substrate so impregnated, by bridging reaction reactive groups, to form a network improving the attachment of the active composition on the substrate.

In particular, the grating is made by adjusting the power and the duration of the radiation so as to induce bridging reactions between the fixing agents and the fibers, between the bridging agents, and optionally between the bridging agents. and active substances. The resulting network is particularly resistant to friction and washing or dry cleaning, which allows to maintain the antiseptic and / or virucidal function over time. According to one embodiment, the ionizing radiation is an electron bombardment, which may be carried out in one or two passages, in particular in a passage on each side of the textile substrate. Moreover, the power of the ionizing radiation combined with the presence of the reactive groups makes it possible to fix a large quantity of active substance in the textile substrate.

In an exemplary embodiment, the substrate is a textile based on hydrophilic fibers so as to promote the absorption capacity of the solution. In particular, the fibers may be based on polyester, polyamide, cellulose derivatives or bamboo flax. Alternatively, a mixture of several types of fibers may be provided.

The textile substrate may comprise a nonwoven web. The sheet may be bonded by water jet or by any other means to obtain a resistant and absorbent sheet (needling, chemical bonding with suitable binder, thermal bonding). However, depending on the intended application, the textile substrate may also be formed of a knit or fabric

The functionalization of such a substrate is described below by fixing an active composition with antiseptic and / or virucidal property, said substrate further comprising a network formed by bridging of the fixing agent. In particular, the substrate may comprise more than 1% by weight of active composition, in particular between 1, 5 and 3% by weight.

In this example, the active composition comprises a silver salt and a sol-gel organic matrix in which the silver salt is disposed to be active in time. To do this, the sol-gel matrix is dissolved before impregnating the substrate with said solution.

In one embodiment, the sol-gel matrix is based on alkoxysilane, in particular MEMO (3- (trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate) or GLYMO ((3- Glycidopropyl) TrimethoxySilane), which allows the realization of a hybrid bridging between the fibers and the silver salt. The silver salt is thus chemically bonded to the fibers in combination with the use of at least bi-functional binders to enhance fixation and protect the salt from wear and abrasion. By way of example, the solution may comprise from 15 to 30 g / l of sol-gel matrix and from 3 to 6 g / l of silver salt nanoparticle in colloidal form.

The implementation of the method also makes it possible to fix the sol-gel matrix on the substrate via the fixing agent, so as to confer protection against wear and to limit the release of the silver salt in the weather.

The fixing agent further comprises a surfactant group. In particular, the fixing agent may be PEG600 DA (600 ethylene glycol units with an acrylate terminus on either side of the chain) which is both hydrophilic and organophilic. Thus, the fixing agent also makes it possible to improve the wettability of the substrate with the solution, and thus to optimize the amount of fixed active composition. The use of surfactant groups is also desirable to improve the antifouling properties in that it limits the adhesion of dirt on the surface of the textile substrate.

In an exemplary embodiment, the solution comprises between 5 and 100 g / l of PEG600 DA, in particular of the order of 30 g / l. In addition, the solution may comprise from 1 to 2 g / l of wetting agent.

The functionalization process may comprise a step of heating the impregnated substrate, said step being provided before or after the application of the ionizing radiation. In the case where the fixing of the active composition on the substrate is thermally activatable, this step in particular makes it possible to improve the reliability of the fixing of the active composition by combining a heat setting with fixation under ionizing radiation. In addition, the heating step allows drying of the textile substrate. The heating can be achieved, in particular by means of infrared lamps, at a temperature below 150 ^° C. Thus, the temperature resistance stresses of the substrate are eliminated, and this by improving the reliability of the fixing of the active composition. In addition, in the case of using a sol-gel matrix, the fixing agent can also create bonds with said matrix, either thermally or under ionizing radiation.

The functionalized textile substrate can be used to make anti-odor clothing, especially such clothing or underwear for professional use, for sportswear clothing or fashion. Moreover, it can be used to facilitate the disinfection of household cleaning tools or used in the field of industrial cleaning. It also finds application for fabrics or curtains for interior design in damp rooms, including bathrooms. Furthermore, the textile substrate is a good support for the production of masks or filter media.

Claims

A method of functionalizing a substrate by means of an active composition with antiseptic and / or virucidal property, said method comprising the steps of:

- preparing a solution containing the active composition and a fixing agent having at least two reactive groups under ionizing radiation, said solution further comprising a sol-gel organic matrix; - impregnate the substrate with the solution;

2. Method of functionalization according to claim 1, wherein the organic sol-gel matrix is based on alkoxysilane.

3. Functionalization method according to claim 2, wherein the active composition is based on at least one metal salt, especially a silver salt and / or a zinc salt.

The method of functionalization according to claim 3, wherein the active composition further comprises a substance having a quaternary ammonium group and / or a biguanide substance.

5. Functionalization method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the reactive groups under ionizing radiation are selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl groups, carboxyl, carbonyl, acrylates, methacrylates, amines, amides, imides, urethanes.

6. The method of functionalization according to claim 5, wherein the fixing agent is selected from the group comprising glycidyl methacrylate (MAGLY), polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEG DA), dipropylene glycol diacrylate (DPGA), potassium sulfopropyl methacrylate (SPMK) and lauryl methacrylate or acrylate.

7. The method of functionalization according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the fixing agent further comprises a surfactant group.

8. Functionalization method according to claim 7, wherein the fixing agent is PEG600 DA.

9. Method of functionalization according to any one of claims 1 to

8, in which the impregnation is carried out by padding.

10. Method of functionalization according to any one of claims 1 to

9, said method providing a step of heating the impregnated substrate, said step being provided before or after the application of the ionizing radiation.

11. Functionalization method according to claim 10, wherein the heating step is carried out at a temperature below 150 ^° C.

12. The method of functionalization according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the ionizing radiation is an electron bombardment.

13. Textile substrate functionalized by implementing a method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, said substrate comprising an active composition with antiseptic and / or virucidal property which is fixed on said substrate, and a network formed by bridging. of the fixing agent.

14. Textile substrate according to claim 13, characterized in that it comprises more than 1% by weight of active composition.