Novel refreshable N-halamine polymeric biocides:: Grafting hydantoin-containing monomers onto high performance fibers by a continuous process

In this study, a continuous pad-dry-cure process was developed for the first time to graft a cycloamine monomer, 3-allyl-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (ADMH), onto several high performance fibers, including Nomex, Kermel, and a PBI/Kevlar blend. The influence of reaction conditions on the grafting copolymerizaiton was studied. It was found that in the presence of a difunctional monomer, polyethylene glycol)-diacrylate (PEG-DIA), ADMH could be readily grafted onto these fibers. After exposure to chlorine, the hydantoin structures in the grafted samples could be transformed into N-halamines, which provided powerful, durable, and regenerable antibacterial activities against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. The influence of hydrophobic/rigid properties of the fabrics on grafting reactions as well as on their antibacterial activities was discussed, and the importance of full contact was emphasized. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.