Development of Woven PPE with Regenerated Fibers to Enhance the Comfort Properties of the Wearer with Antimicrobial and Liquid Barrier Nano Particle Finish

The ultimate aim of personal protective wear used by the healthcare worker is to act as a layer of protection for the skin from contact with biological hazards in the form of fluid or aerosol particles. The personal protective wear is mostly made from non-woven material. The non-woven PPE offers good protection to healthcare workers but at the same time lacks comfort. Regenerated fiber non-woven has good thermo-regulation property, thus providing good breathability to the wearer. Thus, in this project, an attempt has been made to create a woven PPE by combining bamboo fiber with inherently anti-microbial viscose fiber. The fibers are taken in five different blend ratios of 100% bamboo, 100% viscose fiber, 50:50, 65:35, and 35:65. Bamboo fiber has good anti-microbial property by its nature and the fiber is also hydroscopic, hypoallergenic, and a natural deodorizer and used in applications of medical textile, while viscose fiber provides higher comfort. The fabric is then proposed to be treated with nano fluorocarbon to enhance the liquid barrier property of the fabric and nanosoyabean particle to enhance the anti-microbial property. The fabric liquid repellence property and anti-microbial properties are tested. The fabric comfort parameters such as air permeability, moisture vapour permeability, and thermal insulation property were tested. Among all the five samples, 50:50 ratio has good comfort properties, liquid barrier property, and antimicrobial property, which are then converted into a PPE suit for healthcare workers.