Preparation and characterization of ZnO-PP nanocomposite fibers and non-woven fabrics

In this work, zinc oxide nanorods are synthesized by polyvinyl alcohol-based sol-gel Pyrolysis method and also applied to prepare the antibacterial ZnO/polypropylene nanocomposite fibers and non-woven fabrics. The fibers are produced by the melt spinning and the nonwoven is produced by thermo banding method. The samples are characterized by SEM and TEM. The antibacterial activity of the fibers is qualitative assessed by the agar diffusion and parallel streak and quantitative test methods for percentage reduction of bacteria colonies. The topographical analysis of the treated fiber and untreated fiber are studied and compared. The results show that the treated fibers and non-woven fabrics have the significant antibacterial and antiallergic properties. In addition, the samples show good mechanical strength and UV protection.