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OUTLOOK ON TEXTILES

Cotton fibres are amenable for coating Of the eight cloth materials tested,
with nanoparticles, which makes them 100% cotton had the highest virus-blocking
antimicrobial. Cotton cloth coated with efficiency compared to cotton blends and
nanometals such as nanosilver, nanozinc, 100% polyester. Five pathogenic fungi
nanocopper, etc., makes a smart fabric with survived significantly longer (19,5 days) on
antimicrobial properties. Nanocopper-coated 100% polyester, spandex, polyethylene and
cotton fibres showed a broad-spectrum polyurethane but survived for less than five
antimicrobial effect and anti-influenza days on 100% cotton and cotton blends.
biocidal activity with clear breathability Pure cotton and cotton blends filter 50,85%
and no depletion in antimicrobial activity to 72,46% of the virions, and 100% cotton is
after being washed. Highly cleaned and recommended as the most suitable household
sterile unbleached cotton was found to material for the preparation of non-medical
have constituents that are beneficial to the face masks.
haemostatic and inflammatory stages of Cotton fibres are natural and biodegradable
wound healing. These properties were further and should be the fibre of choice, especially
strengthened by impregnation of nanometals. for disposable items that can safely be
SARS-CoV survives longer in an infective discarded without causing an environmental
form on synthetic fibre-based disposable hazard.
gowns than on cotton gowns. The recovery
efficiency (RE) of 2,3% to 3,0% for the MS2
virus from polyester is significantly higher than For the full article, citations and references visit the
ICAC website: icac.org
the 0,03% to 0,3% from cotton.

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Volume 22 No 3 September 2020 | 7