Textile coating composition that reduces and/or prevents microbial growth and/or control odor(s) for prolonged time periods
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current textile antimicrobial and odor control methods using heavy metals and nanomaterials are environmentally harmful due to their potential to leach into soil and water, necessitating the development of safer, effective alternatives that maintain durable antimicrobial and odor control properties.
Innovation Solution
The use of benzoic acid combined with terephthalic acid or quat silane in textile coating compositions, where benzoic acid is anchored to the textile via chemical bonding, enhancing thermal stability and wash durability, and quat silane solubilizes and stabilizes benzoic acid to prevent sublimation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If heavy metals and nanomaterials are used for antimicrobial and odor control, then effective odor reduction is achieved, but environmental harm occurs due to leaching into soil and water
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the harmful heavy metal and nanomaterial components from textile antimicrobial formulations, replacing them with benign organic compounds (benzoic acid and terephthalic acid) that provide equivalent antimicrobial effectiveness without environmental contamination risks
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs readily degradable organic acid compounds that naturally break down over time, replacing persistent heavy metals and nanomaterials with substances that lose their antimicrobial function through natural degradation, thereby eliminating long-term environmental accumulation
2Reliability
If benzoic acid is applied to textile without crosslinking, then antimicrobial properties are achieved, but thermal stability and wash durability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite system where benzoic acid (antimicrobial agent) is crosslinked with terephthalic acid (crosslinking agent) to form a stable integrated structure on the textile, combining the antimicrobial properties of benzoic acid with the thermal and wash stability provided by the crosslinked network
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies crosslinking agents and undergoes heat treatment during the manufacturing process to pre-establish strong chemical bonds between benzoic acid molecules and textile fibers, ensuring durability is built into the structure before the textile enters service
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 compositions achieve a significant reduction in bacterial growth and odor control for an extended period, with log reductions of 3-4 after multiple launderings, while being environmentally friendly and avoiding the drawbacks of heavy metal and nanomaterial-based solutions.
Implementation Method 1
The first antimicrobial and/or anti-odor textile coating composition utilizes terephthalic acid as a crosslinker anchoring benzoic acid to the textile material, such as polyester, via chemical bonding thereby increasing the thermal stability of benzoic acid
Implementation Method 2
quat silane solubilizes and stabilizes benzoic acid to prevent sublimation
Data Source
AI summary
Antimicrobial and/or anti-odor textile coating composition that reduce and/or prevent bacterial growth and/or control odor(s) on a textile material treated for a prolonged time period including up to, for example, fifty wash cycles. The textile coating compositions may include benzoic acid and at least one of terephthalic acid, and/or a quat silane.