Mint-Composite Cellulose Fiber Antibacterial Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current antibacterial cellulose fibers face challenges in providing both effective bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties while being environmentally friendly and non-toxic, with a need for natural, sustainable, and long-lasting antibacterial textile solutions.
Innovation Solution
The production of mint-containing composite cellulose fibers involves extracting mint from whole plants through a multi-step process combining water and ethanol extraction, followed by a quenching process to create a viscose spinning solution, which is then blended with cellulose pulps and spun into fibers, incorporating natural antibacterial agents without heavy metal toxicity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional antibacterial agents are used in cellulose fibers, then bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties are improved, but heavy metal toxicity and environmental harm occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameter of antibacterial agents from conventional heavy metal-based compounds to natural plant extract components (mint extract), thereby maintaining antibacterial efficacy while eliminating heavy metal toxicity. The mint extract is applied to cellulose fibers through a coating process, transforming the chemical nature of the antibacterial agent.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses natural plant extracts (mint extract) as temporary, renewable antibacterial agents that can be naturally degraded, replacing persistent heavy metal compounds. The plant-based extract provides short-term antibacterial action that refreshes with each use, aligning with the disposable/renewable concept.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If natural plant extracts are used as antibacterial agents, then environmental friendliness and non-toxicity are improved, but antibacterial effectiveness and durability may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by pre-extracting mint components from plant material before applying them to the fibers. The mint extract is prepared in advance through extraction processes, concentrating the antibacterial components so that when applied to cellulose fibers, they provide immediate and effective antibacterial protection rather than requiring gradual release.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite material system combining cellulose fibers with mint plant extract. This composite structure integrates the natural antibacterial properties of mint with the textile properties of cellulose, producing a fiber that inherently possesses both textile functionality and natural antibacterial efficacy without compromising either aspect.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple extraction processes are used to prepare mint extract, then extraction efficiency and mint content are improved, but production time and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple extraction approaches (water extraction and ethanol extraction) into a unified production process. By combining these extraction methods, the process achieves high mint extract content in the final product while streamlining the overall production workflow, making the multi-step extraction efficient and suitable for industrial production.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The resulting fibers exhibit stable antibacterial properties, high dry and wet strength, refreshing coolness, and long-lasting mint scent, while being environmentally friendly and suitable for textiles in close contact with human skin, with improved production efficiency and spinnability.
Implementation Method 1
A mint-extract stock solution is prepared by treating the mint-extract crude solution with at least a quenching process. In the quenching process, a temperature of the mint-extract crude solution is increased to be about 100° C. and maintained for about 1 to about 2 hours, and the temperature is quickly reduced to about 10° C. within about 30 minutes.
Implementation Method 2
the pre-treated coarse powders are mixed with water to form a mixture, steam is introduced into the mixture containing the pre-treated coarse powders and the water to increase a temperature to be about 100° C. for decocting
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides mint-containing composite cellulose fibers and production methods thereof. A mint-extract crude solution is prepared from a whole mint plant after at least one water extraction process and at least one ethanol extraction process to provide a mint-extract filtrate and mint-extract residues. The mint-extract filtrate is used as the mint-extract crude solution. The mint-extract crude solution is treated to prepare a mint-extract stock solution by at least a quenching process. A viscose spinning solution is prepared by mixing the mint-extract residues with one or more pulps selected from a cotton pulp, a wood pulp, a bamboo pulp, a wool pulp, a linen pulp, a silk pulp, a Tencel pulp, and a Modal pulp. The one or more pulps contain cellulose. A mint-viscose blend is prepared by dynamically mixing the mint-extract stock solution with the viscose spinning solution and then spun into the mint-containing composite cellulose fiber.