Antibacterial Polyester Yarn
Introduction
Polymers can be easily infected by bacteria or fungi, which consequently results in the transmission of diseases and severe infections. Prevention of microbial colonization onto the polymeric surfaces can be fulfilled by adding active antimicrobial agent like silver nanoparticles into the polymers. Polyester is a category of polymers that contain the ester functional group in their main chain. In comparison with other industrial fibers, polyester fibers have high tenacity, low water absorption and minimum shrinkage. This material is widely used in the clothing industry. Silver ions and its compounds are extremely lethal for a wide range of bacteria, whilst they show very low toxicity for human cells. Therefore, silver is widely used as an antibacterial agent.