Assessing Antibacterial Properties of Polyvinyl alcohol/Pregelatinized Starch Films for Outbreak Prevention

To prevent contamination from viruses or bacteria, it is important to use a protective film or bag to cover contaminated clothing. The goal of this study was to develop films of polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) blended with pregelatinized starch (PSt) by adding 2-hydroxypropyl-3-piperazinylquinolinecarboxylic acid methacrylate (HPQM) and dodecyl dipropylene triamine (TRIAMEEN) antibacterial agents for thermal, mechanical, water-soluble, and antibacterial properties appropriate for film packaging. The blend films were compounded by a twin-screw extruder and produced by blown film extrusion. In previous research, PVOH and PSt weight ratios were fixed at 60:40, containing glycerol (G) at 20 phr and antibacterial agents at various contents (500, 1000, and 1500 mg/L). In this current research, it was found that, the addition of antibacterial agents to the blend film did not significantly affect the mechanical and water-soluble properties of the blend. However, the blend films containing HPQM demonstrated greater antibacterial efficacy against both Escherichia coli (E. Coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. Aureus) than the films with TRIAMEEN. Results showed that the PVOH60/G/PSt40 blend film with 1000 mg/L of HPQM possessed a 99.9% reduction in E. Coli and PVOH60/G/PSt40 blend film with 500 mg/L of HPQM possessed a 99.9% reduction in bacteria of S. Aureus. The PVOH60/G/P-St40 blend film with 1500 mg/L of TRIAMEEN also demonstrated a good 93.14% reduction of E. Coli and an impressive 99.9% of S. Aureus. Consequently, the blend with HPQM 1000 mg/L seems to be the most suitable for producing a water-soluble laundry bag.