Antibacterial and Hydrophilic Modification of PET Fabrics by Electron Beam Irradiation Process

Electron beam (EB) irradiation has been utilized to modify materials for various applications due to its remarkable advantages. As an efficient and environmental-friendly way for antibacterial and hydrophilic purposes, EB irradiation was applied to modify polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabrics by grafting with a N-halamine precursor monomer 3-allyl-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (ADMH) and acrylic acid (AA) in this study. The grafted PET fabrics were loaded with silver ions to further enhance the antimicrobial efficacy. The hydrophilicity of the modified PET fabrics was evaluated by testing the water contact angles with different contact times. The breaking strength and thermal stability of the modified swatches were studied. The UVA light stability results showed the chlorine loading of the modified PET fabrics decreased with the extension of UVA exposure time, and most chlorine loading could be recovered by re-chlorination. The antibacterial test showed that the modified PET swatches can inactivate all inoculated S. aureus and E. coli with short contact times.