Bioactive fabrics
Also known as: Antimicrobial textiles
Textiles with antimicrobial finish against bacteria, fungi and odour.
Description
Bioactive fabrics are textiles enhanced with antimicrobial agents: silver ions, zinc pyrithione, chitosan, triclosan (banned in many regions) or bio-based extracts (neem, tea tree). Efficacy per ISO 20743 (antibacterial) and AATCC 100, quantified in log reductions (log 2 = 99 %, log 3 = 99.9 %).
Brands: Bionic-Finish® Eco (Rudolf), Polygiene® (silver), SILVADUR® (Dow). Targets: sport base layers, socks, workwear, hospitals. Agent load: 0.1-1 % w/w on fabric.
Ageing: silver ions release with every wash and leach out; efficacy drops noticeably after 20-50 cycles. Environmental issue: silver is toxic to aquatic organisms (LC50 for fish 0.001 mg/l), release into sewage sludge is critical. bluesign® and OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 limit silver content and release.
Properties
| Test standard | ISO 20743, AATCC 100 |
|---|---|
| Typical values | log 2-3 microbial reduction |
| Application | Sport base layers, socks, workwear |
Related product categories
Sources & references
3- Wikipedia: Antimicrobial textiles Wikipedia — Freie Enzyklopädie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimicrobial_textiles
- OEKO-TEX OEKO-TEX Association https://www.oeko-tex.com/
- bluesign bluesign technologies ag https://www.bluesign.com/
