Degree of chitosan deacetylation on antimicrobial properties of nylon 6,6 fabrics

Abstract

The aim of this study is to research the effects of degree of deacetylation (DD) of chitosan on the antimicrobial properties of nylon 6,6 fabrics. Chitosan (70% DD) was deacetylated to 98% DD. Subsequently, nylon 6,6 fabrics with a warp-knitted powernet structure were treated with 1% chitosan (70% or 98% DD) by separately crosslinking with 0.1% dimethylol dihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU). Treated samples were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses. Antimicrobial tests showed that all treated samples had very good antimicrobial activity even after 10 washes. Fabrics treated with lower DD (70%) chitosan exhibited better antimicrobial activity. © 2017, American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists. All rights reserved.