Preparation of Nano Cu-ZnO/PET Fiber for Antibacterial Application

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber is applied to clothing, home textiles and other fields because of its low cost, high strength, quick-drying and stable structure, etc. Polyester fiber generally doesn’t have the ability to kill bacteria, and it is a kind of porous material which is conducive to the microbial adhesion and spread of bacteria. In the present study, Cu-ZnO and its antibacterial PET fibers were prepared by sol–gel method and melt spinning, respectively. The structures and compositions of Cu-ZnO were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectra. The crystallization and melting behavior of the PET/Cu-ZnO (0.05:1) composites were tested by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to determine the temperate of melt spinning. The morphologies and mechanical properties of antibacterial polyester fiber were studied by field emission scanning electron micrographs (FE-SEM) and strength machine, respectively. The antibacterial properties of the samples on E. coli and S. aureus were determined using powder inhibition zones and antibacterial rate. The results show that the fibers exhibited excellent antibacterial activity, it had obvious inhibiting effects on E. coli and S. aureus and the antibacterial rate were both above 90%.