title: Properties of antibacterial polypropylene/nanometal composite fibers.
abstract: Melt spinning of polypropylene fibers containing silver and zinc nanoparticles was investigated. The nanometals were generally uniformly dispersed in polypropylene, but aggregation of these materials was observed on fiber surface and in fiber cross-sections. The mechanical properties  of the resulted composite fibers with low concentration of nanometal were comparable to those for the control PP yarns. Extruded composite fibers that contained 0.72% silver and 0.60% zinc nanoparticles had outstanding antibacterial efficacy as documented by the percentage count reduction  growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Fibers containing silver particles had improved antistatic properties.
authors.affiliation: National Research Center, Textile Research Division, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Gawish
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Avci
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ramadan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mosleh
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Monticello
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Breidt
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kotek
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055359:Antistatic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry*; D011126:Polypropylenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature; D015032:Zinc / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D055359:Antistatic Agents; D011126:Polypropylenes; D012834:Silver; D015032:Zinc