Antibacterial properties of nano silver finish cellulose fabric

In the present study, an attempt has been made to impart antimicrobial finishing to the cellulose fabric using nano silver solution at various concentrations (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 ml) and an eco-friendly crosslinking agent by the exhaustion technique. Curing conditions were varied, keeping curing temperatures at 110°C and 100°C and curing times to 1 and 2 min. To assess the quality of the finished fabric, various properties such as washing fastness and zone of inhibition were studied. The zones of inhibition have been studied using Escherichia coli bacteria to determine antimicrobial activity of the fabric; the surface characteristics of these fabrics have been studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In the case of the treated commercial cotton fabric product, the zones of inhibition are at a minimum of 14 mm and a maximum of 18 mm for Gram-negative bacteria. SEM study and antibacterial tests of the silver-finished fabrics indicated that, generally, silver nanoparticles were well dispersed on the fabric surface. Antibacterial test was used to estimate the biological activity of the treated fabrics, and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) were used for this purpose. The washing fastness of finished textiles was investigated in terms of ISO 105 CO3-1982 standard. The results obtained proved the good and long-lasting bacteriostatic efficacy of silver nanoparticles applied during the finishing of cotton and viscose.