Development of Medical Reusable Gowns Using Eco-Friendly Finishing Agents

In the domain of medical textiles, production of reusable gowns required for bedridden patients as well as therapeutic staff is of prime importance. To realize this objective, a plan was designed to functionalize cotton fabrics with eco-friendly finishing agents. A plenty of experiments have been carried out to prepare cotton fabrics bearing antibacterial character essential for hospital bed sheeting, surgical articles and other medical and nursing purposes. Triclosan, ?-Cyclodextrin and glyoxal are the main modifying agents for twill-weave cotton throughout this investigation and under a variety of conditions. To achieve this target, step-wise and simultaneous processes for preparation have been extensively studied. Tentative reaction mechanisms are suggested to clarify chemical reactions involved and the products are characterized by FTIR measurements and SEM micrographs. A study of fabric performance and antibacterialproperties of finished products is undertaken and an elucidation of the findings is given in some details. Antibacterial activity is evaluated according to the standard Agar Diffusion Method and its durability to washing is also reported. Results revealed that finished fabrics reserved most of their performance involving strength properties in addition to enhanced air and water permeability. Finished cotton fabrics prepared under these conditions, exhibited an efficient and durable antibacterial characteristic and thus can be categorized as multipurpose medical textiles.