MX2008007614A - Bacteria capturing treatment for fibrous webs - Google Patents

Abstract

A fibrous web containing a composition capable to tract and/or trap negatively charged matter, such as bacteria and other pathogens, is generally disclosed. The bacteriostatic composition can be a multivalently charged metal ion, such as an aluminum cation, ligated to at least one surfactant. The surfactant can be an anionic surfactant, such as an alkyl sulfate. Also, methods of forming a fibrous web capable of trapping negatively charged matter is generally provided.

Description

TREATMENT OF CAPTURE OF BACTERIA FOR FIBROUS TISSUES Background of the Invention An innumerable number of different types of fibrous tissues are commercially available in the current market. These fibrous tissues may contain chemicals designed with a particular use in mind. For example, fibrous tissues can be used to deliver chemicals designed to kill pathogens, such as bacteria, when the tissue comes into contact with them.

However, as concern grows over toxicological or allergic reactions to chemicals and around the increasing resistance of very common bacteria to antibacterial agents and drug treatments, it has become more desirable to avoid harmful chemicals while still providing a tissue. that removes bacteria.

Many pathogens are generally electro-statically charged. For example, most bacteria are negatively charged. As such, pathogens, such as bacteria, are susceptible to electro-static attraction to charge molecules in opposite ways. For example, negatively charged bacteria they can be attracted to a positively charged molecule, such as a cation. While this attraction may not kill the attracted bacteria, it may help to remove bacteria from their environment.

As such, there is presently a need for a fibrous tissue that can provide a decontamination effect if undesirable exposure to harmful antimicrobial chemicals. There is also a need for a fabric that can have a decontamination effect through the use of electrostatic forces.

Synthesis of the Invention In general, the present disclosure is directed towards a fibrous tissue capable of trapping negatively charged material, and methods for making the same. In one embodiment, the present disclosure is directed to a fibrous web comprising fibers and a composition applied to the web such that the web is able to attract and trap negatively charged material. For example, the composition may comprise a complex of at least one multivalently charged metal cation and at least one electron-rich compound selected from the group consisting of a surfactant, an alcohol, and a processing aid.

In one embodiment, the composition may comprise a multivalently charged metal cation and at least one surfactant, such as a complex comprising at least one multivalently charged metal cation and at least one surfactant. For example, the multivalently charged metal cation may be an aluminum cation, such as an aluminum cation supplied from an aluminum salt. The surfactant may be an anionic surfactant or a non-anionic surfactant. The anionic surfactant may be a monovalent anionic surfactant or a divalent anionic surfactant.

Other features and aspects of the present invention are described in more detail below.

Detailed description Reference may now be made to the embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are disclosed below. Each example is provided by way of an explanation of the invention, not as a limitation of the invention. In fact, it may be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the invention without departing from the scope or the scope of the invention. spirit of invention For example, the features illustrated or described as an embodiment may be used in another embodiment to still yield a further embodiment. Therefore, it is the intention that the present invention cover such modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. It should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present disclosure is only a description of exemplary embodiments, and is not intended to limit the broad aspects of the present invention, whose broad aspects are incorporated in exemplary constructions. .

In general, the present disclosure is directed toward a fibrous tissue that contains a bacteriostatic composition. The bacteriostatic composition can attract and / or trap pathogens, such as bacteria, in the tissue. As such, the bacteriostatic composition allows the tissue to help prevent the transfer of bacteria through the tissue. Also, the bacteriostatic composition can substantially maintain the pathogens in the tissue to help prevent the spread of pathogens to other surfaces that may contact the tissue.

According to the present disclosure, the bacteriostatic composition can attract and trap negatively charged material, such as bacteria and others. pathogens, through the application of physical means and Coulombic attraction, without the use of harmful chemicals such as some antimicrobials. For example, the bacteriostatic composition can provide a positively charged network to the tissue that can electrostatically attract and / or trap negatively charged material, such as molecules, particles, microbes, cells, fungi, cannons, other organisms, pathogens, and the like. Also, the bacteriostatic composition can impede the reproduction and growth of the bacteria that is trapped within the tissue.

The bacteriostatic composition can also interact, such as chemically, electrostatically, or physically, with the fibers of the tissue. As such, the bacteriostatic composition can become integral to the fibers of the tissue and can become embedded in the tissue.

For example, in one embodiment, the bacteriostatic composition may include a complex of at least one multivalently charged metal ion, such as an aluminum cation and at least one surfactant, such as an anionic surfactant. The term "complex" means that it includes any type of combination, such as joined (ionically or covalently), ligatures, oligomers, and the like. In other embodiments, the bacteriostatic composition may include a complex of at least one multivalent charged metal ion and at least one electron rich compound, such as a surfactant, alcohol, or other processing aids. Suitable alcohols include, but are not limited to octanol, hexanol, isopropanol, ethanol. A processing aid is intended to include surfactants of wetting agents, viscosity modifiers (eg, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, hydroxyethyl ethyl cellulose, and the like), binding agents, surface modifiers, salts, pH modifiers, and the like.

It should be understood that any charged metal cation, such as any multivalently charged metal ion, can be used in accordance with the present disclosure. The remainder of this disclosure is directed to a particular embodiment, wherein the metal cation is an aluminum cation, with the understanding that the present disclosure is not limited to an aluminum cation.

Aluminum cations generally have a valence of +3. The aluminum cation can provide a positive charge to the fibrous tissue that can electrostatically attract and / or trap and / or retain negatively charged compositions, including bacteria. The aluminum cation can be bound to a surfactant, such as anionic surfactant. The anionic surfactant can have any valence, such as monovalent (-1), divalent (-2), trivalent (-3), and so on. In this embodiment, the ionically bound molecule can have a negative charge of zero. However, a positive charge can still be provided to the tissue by locating the positive charge in the aluminum cation and by balancing the ligation / metal ion ratio.

For example, the aluminum cation can be ionically bound to a monovalent anionic surfactant, which can generally be represented by the formula: AlR3_nXn where R is the monovalent anionic surfactant, X is the rest of the opposite ions of the original aluminum salt, and n is an integer of 0-2.

In another example, the aluminum cation can be ionically bound to a divalent anionic surfactant, which can be generally represented by the formula: where R is the divalent anionic surfactant, X is the rest of the counter ions of (valence of -1) of the original aluminum salt, and n is an integer of 0-2.

In some embodiments, the anionic surfactant may be, among others, branched and straight chain alkyl benzene sulfonates; linear branched chain alkyl sulfates: linear and branched chain alkyl ethoxy sulphates; esters of silicone phosphate, silicone sulfates, and silicone carboxylates such as those manufactured by Lambert Technologies, located in Norcross, Georgia. Additionally, the anionic surfactant can be supplied with fatty acid salts (such as potassium or sodium stearate, potassium or sodium oleate, and the like).

For example, in some particular embodiments, the anionic surfactant may contain alkyl chains in the surfactant, such as the alkyl sulfate (or alkylsulfonate) anions. Examples of alkyl sulfate anions include, but are not limited to, dodecyl sulfate (SDS, also known as lauryl sulfate, SLS), tetradecyl substrate (STS), hexadecyl sulfate (SHS), and the like . The alkyl chains in the anionic surfactant can help the surfactant to remain in the fibrous tissue binder by interacting, either physically or chemically, with the fibers of the tissue. For example, the surfactant can bind the metal ion to form an insoluble precipitate in the fibers in the tissue.

In one embodiment, the aluminum surfactant can be provided to the tissue by a reaction of a soluble aluminum salt and a surfactant treatment. For example, the reaction may be a precipitation reaction that produces the aluminum surfactant as the precipitate. The reaction can be carried out in an aqueous solution, which can be used to combine the soluble aluminum salt and the soluble surfactant treatment. Once the ingredients are combined in solution, the aluminum surfactant can precipitate out of the solution. For example, in one embodiment, the reaction can be carried out while the fabric is saturated with the aqueous solution, allowing the precipitate to become integral and / or embedded in the fibers of the fabric.

In one embodiment, the soluble aluminum salt can be any aluminum salt that provides an aluminum cation when it is in a solution, such as an aqueous solution. As such, any soluble aluminum salt (multivalent metal) can be used. For example, the soluble aluminum salt can be aluminum chlorohydrate, aluminum chlorohydride, sodium aluminum, potassium aluminum, aluminum sulfate, and the like.

The aluminum cation can form a complex with any electron-rich compound. For example, the electron-rich compound can be a treatment of surfactant, an alcohol (either short or long chain), or a processing aid.

The surfactant treatment can be, in an embodiment, any surfactant treatment that provides an anionic surfactant (or a non-ionic surfactant) when it is in a solution, such as an aqueous solution. For example, the surfactant treatment can be a cation ionically bound to an anionic surfactant. The cation may be, for example, an alkyl cation, such as sodium, or an alkaline earth metal cation. In some particular embodiments, the surfactant treatment may be a sodium alkylbenzene sulfonate or a sodium alkyl sulfate, such as sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium tetradecyl sulfate, sodium hexadecyl sulfate, and the like.

In one embodiment, the alcohol can be hexanol or octanol. Alcohol can help improve wetting and / or uniformly treat fibrous tissues, especially polyolefin substrates. The alcohol can be incorporated into the treatment formulation in a range of from about 0.1% by weight to about 2% by weight, with respect to the total amount of ingredients in the composition.

In certain embodiments, the processing aids can be mixed in an aqueous solution. The The formulation can be diluted to any required or desired concentration level, depending on the treatment process to achieve the predetermined or desired aggregate amount in a substrate to negatively trap matter. For example, processing aids may be present at about 0.75% by weight up to about 1.0% by weight.

The bacteriostatic compositions of the present disclosure can be used in any fibrous tissue, such as non-woven and woven fabrics. As used herein, the term "fiber" or "fibrous" refers to the individual elongated synthetic or natural strips (as compared to a continuous film layer). Synthetic fibers are formed by passing a polymer through a formed orifice such as a matrix. Unless otherwise noted, the terms "fibers" or "fibrous" include discontinuous strips having a defined length and continuous strips of material, such as filaments. The fibrous material may comprise any one or combination of a fabric or a nonwoven. Nonwoven materials may be preferred from a manufacturing point of view. However, woven materials, which include any manner of natural or synthetic fabric, are within the scope and spirit of the invention.

As used herein the term "nonwoven material" means a fabric having a thread structure or of individual fibers which are interlaced, but not in an identifiable manner as in a knitted fabric. Fabrics or non-woven fabrics have been formed from many processes such as, for example, meltblowing processes, spinning processes, knitting processes, and so on. The basis weight of non-woven fabrics is usually expressed in ounces of material per square yard (osy) or grams per square meter (gsm) and the diameters of useful fibers are usually expressed in microns. (Note that to convert from ounces per square yard to grams per square meter, ounces per square yard are multiplied by 33.91).

The non-woven material may comprise a blown fabric with a non-woven melt. The melt blown fibers are formed by extruding a molten thermoplastic material through a plurality of capillary, usually circular, thin vessels such as melted fibers into streams. (for example air) of high-speed converging gas that attenuate the fibers of molten thermoplastic material to reduce its diameter, which may be microfiber diameter.

Then, the meltblown fibers are transported by the high velocity gas stream and are deposited on a collection surface to form a randomly dispersed meltblown fabric. Such a process is described, for example, in the United States patent of America No. 3,849,241 granted to Butin and others. Usually speaking, melt blown fibers can be microfibers that can be continuous or discontinuous, are generally smaller than 10 microns in diameter, and are generally sticky when deposited on a collection surface.

The non-woven material may comprise a woven fabric bonded by non-woven yarn. Spunbond fibers are substantially continuous fibers small in diameter that are formed by extruding a molten thermoplastic material from a plurality of capillary vessels, usually circular, fine of a spinning organ with the diameter of the extruded filaments then being rapidly reduced as by, for example, the eductive pull and / or other well-known spinning linkage mechanisms. The production of spin-bonded non-woven fabrics is described and illustrated, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 4,340,563 issued to Appel et al., U.S. Patent No. 3,692,618 issued to Dorschner. and others, and U.S. Patent No. 3,802,817 to Matsuki et al., U.S. Patent No. 3,338,992 to Kinney, U.S. Patent No. 3,341,394 to Kinney. , U.S. Patent No. 3,502,763 issued to Hartman, U.S. Patent No. 3,502,538 issued to Levy, U.S. Patent No. 3,542,615 to Dobo and others, and patent of the United States of America No. ,382,400 awarded to Pike and others. Spunbonded fibers are generally non-tacky when they are deposited on a collection surface. Spunbonded fibers can sometimes have diameters of less than about 40 microns, and are often between about 5 to about 20 microns.

The fabric may be a combination of fabrics, such as a laminate. For example, the non-woven material may comprise a spunbonded / meltblown / spunbonded laminate, or an SMS material. A typical spunbond / meltblown / spunbonded material is described in United States of America Patent No. 4,041,203 to Brock et al. Other products linked by spunbond / meltblown / spunbond and processes are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 5,464,688 issued to Timmons et al .; U.S. Patent No. 5,169,706 issued to Collier et al .; and U.S. Patent No. 4,766,029 issued to Brock et al. Generally, a spunbonded / meltblown / spunbonded material may consist of a meltblown fabric sandwiched between two outer spinbonded fabrics. Such spunbond / meltblown / spunbond laminates have been commercially available for years from the Kimberly-Clark Corporation under brands such as Spunguard. RT Y Evolution.RTM. The layers bonded by spinning in the laminates linked by spinning / meltblowing / spinning bonding provide durability and the blown layer with internal melting provide porosity and additional feel similar to the fabric.

Suitable nonwoven fabric materials can also be made from bonded carded fabrics and airlaid fabrics. The bonded carded fabrics are made of basic fibers which are sent through a carding or combing unit, which stops or breaks apart and aligns the basic fibers to form a non-woven fabric. Once the tissue is formed, it is then joined by one or more of several known joining methods.

Laying with air is another well-known process by which fibrous tissues can be formed. In air-laid processes, bunches of small fibers that have typical lengths in the range of from about 6 to about 19 millimeters are separated and put into an air supply and then deposited on a forming screen, usually with the help of a vacuum supply. Randomly deposited fibers can be joined to one another using known binding techniques.

In a particular embodiment, the fibrous tissue of the present disclosure may contain olefinic fibers. Olefinic fibers can be made from olefin polymers, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and the like.

Generally, tissues comprising non-whole olefinic fibers act with pathogens in no way, due in part to the non-polar nature of the olefinic fibers. By embedding the bacteriostatic salt of the present disclosure in the olefinic fibrous tissue, the change in the bacteriostatic salt can capture the pathogen, such as the bacterium. Therefore, an olefinic fibrous tissue, which normally can not interact with pathogens, can be modified not only to interact but also help in trapping pathogens. The resultant olefinic fibrous tissue can act as a barrier tissue that substantially prevents the transmission of pathogens through the tissue.

The present disclosure is also directed to methods for making a tissue capable of trapping bacteria. In one embodiment, a bacteriostatic composition can be formed by reacting an aluminum cation and an anionic surfactant. For example, in one embodiment, the fabric may be saturated with a first aqueous solution containing a surfactant treatment, such as the surfactant treatment described above. Then, a second aqueous solution containing a metal cation, such as an aluminum cation can be added to the wet tissue. Alternatively, a solution containing the metal cationit can be added first, and then a solution containing the surfactant solution can be added.

In a particular embodiment, the fabric is first saturated with a solution containing a surfactant treatment. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the addition of the surfactant treatment solution, prior to the metal cation solution, ensures that adequate mixing can occur, since most of the treated fabrics are hydrophobic. The surfactant treatment solution allows the fabric to be moistened, thereby allowing the second solution, containing the metal cation, to penetrate and coat the fibers.

The aluminum cation can be, for example, supplied in an aqueous solution having a concentration of aluminum salts of from about 0.1% to about 50%, such as from about 5% to about 25%. In a particular embodiment, the concentration of aluminum salt can be from about 5% to about 15%, such as about 10%. For example, an aqueous solution of aluminum chlorohydrate and / or aluminum chlorohydride having any of the foregoing concentrations can be used to deliver the aluminum cation to the tissue.

The anionic surfactant can be delivered to the tissue, for example, in an aqueous solution having a surfactant treatment concentration of about 0.1% to about 50%, such as from about 5% to about 25%. In a particular embodiment, the concentration of surfactant treatment can be from about 5% to about 15%, such as about 10%. For example, an aqueous solution of a sodium alkyl sulfate, such as sodium dodecylsulfate, sodium tetradecyl sulfate, and / or sodium hexadecyl sulfate, having any of the above concentrations can be used to deliver the surfactant anionic to the tissue.

Regardless of the order of addition, once both solutions have been added to the fabric, the compound or adduction of aluminum surfactant is precipitated from the solution. Once the tissue is saturated with the solution, the precipitate can become deposited on the fibers of the tissue. Also, the precipitate can work in the tissue through the use of physical means.

After the precipitate has formed, the tissue can be rinsed, to remove any loose precipitate and other soluble ions from the tissue, and dried. For example, the fabric can be framed with water and air dried.

The resulting fabric may contain an effective amount of the aluminum surfactant to aid in attracting and / or trap negatively charged material, such as bacteria, in the tissue. For example, the aluminum surfactant may be present in the dried fabric in an amount that increases the basis weight of the fabric by at least about 50%, such as from about 60% to about 120%, such as from about 75% up to around 100%. In a particular embodiment, for example, the basis weight of the fabric can be increased by about 80% to about 90%.

Bacteriostatic composition of the present disclosure, such as an aluminum surfactant, can be added to and / or included within the tissues without substantially changing the properties of the tissue. For example, non-woven olefinic fabrics can retain their barrier properties with the aluminum surfactant present within the tissue. Also, although the aluminum surfactant may be hydrophobic, tissue wettability that contains the aluminum surfactant is not drastically cleaned.

Tissues treated with the bacteriostatic composition of the present disclosure can be used in any manner in which the tissue can be used. In particular, the treated tissues may be used where decontamination is desired, such as in surgical gowns, face masks, absorbent articles for personal care (such as diapers, adult incontinence products, the underpants learning, the products for the care of women, and the like), products for cleaning relatives and such as paper towels, napkins, facial tissue, bath tissue, industrial cleaning cloths, and the like) , protective clothing, and the like.

Examples Example 1: determine the anionic attraction ability of treated tissues Samples of spunbond / meltblown / spunbonded (SMS) material were prepared by cutting a surgical gown sold under the brand name to Cover * (which has a basis weight of 1.0 ounce per square yard) by Kimberly Clark Corp. of Neenah, isconsin. The spunbonded / meltblown / spunbonded laminate has a polypropylene melt blown fabric sandwiched between two outer polypropylene spunbonded fabrics.

The spunbond / meltblown / spunbonded substrate was wetted with an aqueous solution containing 20% by weight of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The surfactant solution immediately wetted the bonding substrate by spinning / meltblowing / spinning. The solution of dodecyl sulfate Sodium was allowed to saturate the bonding substrate by spinning / meltblowing / spinning.

Then, an aqueous solution containing 50% by weight of aluminum chlorohydrate was added to the already saturated and still wet spunbond / meltblown / spunbond bonded substrate. An immediately formed precipitate wherein the aluminum chlorohydrate solution was applied to the spunbond / meltblown / spin-linked substrate by soaking with surfactant. The combined solutions and precipitate that resulted were stirred and mixed by hand using a polypropylene rod until the two solutions were thoroughly mixed into the fibrous tissue. The unbound precipitate outside the spunbond / meltblown / nonwoven spunbond with copious amounts of water, and the spunbond / meltblown / spunbond substrate was allowed to air dry.

The ability of the spunbond / meltblown / bonded yarn treated to capture the anionic material was tested by the use of FD &C blue dye # 1 in water. The dye is an anionic dye sold by BF Goodrich under the brand name FD &C blue # 1 and having the following structure: As a test, 5 μL drops of an aqueous solution containing 0.1% by weight of FD &C blue # 1 dye were applied to the surface of the treated SMS material and to the surface of an untreated SMS material, for comparison. The drops were accommodated on the surface of both treated and untreated tissues. The dye solution was then rinsed from both SMS materials with water.

Once rinsed, the area where the drops were in contact with the treated SMS tissue left a blue spot that can not be rinsed off with water. SMS tissue control (not treated) did not retain the dye.

The treated and control samples were then wetted by the use of an aqueous solution containing 0.5% by weight of Tween 20 (a non-ionic surfactant reported as being sorbitan monolaurate of polyethylene glycol), which is sold by Fluka, a division of Sigma-Aldrich Company. The non-ionic surfactant solution almost immediately wet both treated and control SMS substrates.

Then, the dye solution was added to the wet SMS substrates completely (as described above). The drops of dye solution were immediately pulled into the substrates. When rinsed, the dye was not spread or rinsed out of the treated SMS substrate, but instead was retained in and on the tissue. However, the untreated control SMS substrate failed to retain any of the dye.

Example 2: Optimizing the concentrations of the treatment solutions To determine what level of loading was necessary to capture the 5 μL of the dye solution that was added to the SMS material, the following was carried out: Determination of the optimum concentration of the aluminum salt solution: Various SMS substrates, as described in Example 1, were wetted with an aqueous solution containing 20% by weight of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Then an aqueous solution containing aluminum chlorohydrate was added to each SMS substrate, allowed to precipitate out of the aluminum surfactant, worked on the SMS substrate, rinsed well with water and allowed to dry. The concentrations of the solutions Water containing the aluminum chlorohydrate were as follows: 50% by weight, % by weight, % by weight, % by weight, 1% by weight.

Once dried, each of the treated substrates was tested using the dye solution of example 1. Substrates treated with 50% by weight and 25% by weight of aluminum chlorohydrate solutions, both blocked the pores of the material, not allowing to any dye to reach the inner part of the fabric. The substrate treated with 10% by weight of aluminum chlorohydrate solution captured and maintained all 5 μL of the applied dye. The SMS material treated with 5% by weight of aluminum chlorohydrate solution captured and maintained some of the dye applied, while the SMS material treated with 1% by weight of aluminum chlorohydrate solution captured and maintained very little of the dye.

Determination of the optimum concentration of the aluminum salt solution: Various SMS substrates, as described in Example 1, were moistened with an aqueous solution containing 10% by weight of aluminum chlorohydrate. Then, the aqueous solution containing sodium dodecyl sulfate was added to each SMS substrate, allowed to precipitate out of the aluminum surfactant, worked on the SMS substrate, rinsed well with water and allowed to dry. The concentrations of the aqueous solutions containing sodium dodecyl sulfate were as follows: % by weight, % by weight, % by weight, 2% by weight, 1% by weight.

Once dried, each of the treated substrates was tested using the dye solution of example 1. The substrates treated with 20% by weight of the solution of the sodium dodecyl sulfate blocked the pores of the material, not allowing any dye to reach the inside of the tissue. The substrate treated with the solution of 10% by weight of sodium dodecyl sulfate captured and maintained all 5 μL of the applied dye. SMS material treated with 5% by weight of sodium dodecyl sulfate solution captured and maintained some of the applied dye, while SMS material treated with 2% by weight and sodium dodecyl sulfate solution of 1% by weight captured and He kept very little of the dye.

As a result of these optimization experiments, the present inventors believe that the concentrations of 10% by weight, of each aluminum cation solution and the surfactant treatment solution are the preferred concentrations.

Example 3: Treatment of SMS laminate with aluminum chlorohydrate: To coat the substrates, an aqueous formulation of 500 ml containing 1.0% by weight of alumina oligomer + 99.0% by weight of water / Hexanol was prepared.

An aluminum chlorohydrate solution of 1% by weight was prepared by diluting a supply of aluminum chlorohydrate (supplied by GEO Specialty Chemicals located in Little Rock, Arkansas) solution (50% by weight of solution in water, 10 mL) with a mixture of deionized water (485 mL) and hexanol (5 mL).

An untreated SMS substrate with a size of 8"xl2" was cut from a surgical gown sold under the trade name Control Coated Gown * (having a basis weight of 1.0 oz. Per square yard) from Kimberly-Clark Corporation of Neenah, Wisconsin. The SMS laminate had a meltblown fabric placed in the form of a sandwich between the two outer spunbonded fabrics.

The SMS substrate treatment involved an "embed and squeeze" protocol. Each substrate was weighed first (Wantes) and immersed in 1% by weight of alumina oligomer solution and stirred at about 1 minute to ensure saturation. The treated substrate was then squeezed to remove the excess treatment solution using an Atlas laboratory type l-1 (Atlas Electrical Devices Company, Chicago, Illinois) equipped with 5% by weight for the squeeze pressure. The treated substrate was heated at 85 ° C for 2 hours, allowed to cool to room temperature, and washed twice with deionized water. The excess water was removed using the same "dip and squeeze" protocol indicated above. The treated substrate was allowed to air dry at room temperature and then weighed again (W after) • The aggregate percent of weight was calculated based on the following equation: % added = (WdeSpUés-Wantes) / Wantes% The untreated SMS control was made using the same procedure except that it was used with a mixture of deionized water (485 mL) and hexanol (5 mL) alone without oligomeric alumina solution.

Example 4 - SB treatment with aluminum chlorohydrate A non-woven fabric bonded with untreated (SB) polypropylene yarn with a size of 8"xl2" (having a basis weight of 0.9 ounces per square yard) was made by Kimberly-Clark Corporation of Neenah, Wisconsin to make face masks.

The treated and untreated SB substrates were made using the same procedure as described in the previous example 3.

Example 5- Treatment of film laminate / SB with aluminum chlorohydrate: A thermally laminated substrate of a polyethylene film and a non-woven fabric bonded with Polypropylene with a size of 8"xl2" (a thickness of 0.6 mils PE film with 0.8 ounces per square yard of SB) was made by Kimberly-Clark Corporation of Neenah, Wisconsin for a surgical gown.

SB thermal laminates / untreated film were made using the same procedures as described in Example 3 above.

Example 6- Zeta Potential Analysis - Alignment used to measure the surface loading of treated and untreated substrates When an electrolyte solution forced through a plug of porous material, an emanation potential develops due to the movement of ions in the diffusion layer that can be measured by an Electro Kinetic analyzer (from Brookhaven Instruments Corporation, of Holtsville, New York). , United States of America) . This value is then used to calculate the zeta potential according to the formula published by D. Fairhurst and V. Ribitsch (particle size distribution II, Evaluation and characterization, Chapter 22, ACS Symposium Series 472, Edited by Proveer, Theodore, ISBN 0841221170).

During the preparation of the sample, the treated and untreated cleaning cloth substrates were cut in two identical pieces (120 millimeters x 50 millimeters) and placed in the sample cell with Teflon® spacers between them. After the sample cell was mounted on the instrument, all air bubbles were removed by purging. The KCL solution (1 mM, pH = 50.9, Temp = 22 ° C) was forced through the two media layers and the Ag / AgCl electrodes were used to measure the emanation potential. All samples were tested under a solution conductivity of similar pH, and using the same number of spacers.

Each test was repeated times, and the results are summarized in Table 1 Table 1 As can be seen from the data, the Zeta potential for the untreated substrates was either negative (such as -9.5mV for the untreated SMS control) or low (such as 0.9mV for the untreated SB control and 2.4mV for the SB control / movie no treated) at a pH of ~ 5.9. Negative or low emitted potential zeta values for untreated substrates indicated that there should be low repulsion or capture capacity between most bacteria and untreated substrates. After treatment, the zeta potential for the treated SMS to be positive (+8.4 mV) negative, and the treated SB and film / SB substrates become much more positive: + 12.3mV for the treated SB and 11.1mV for the film / SB treated.

These and other modifications and variations to the present invention may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which is more particularly set forth in the appended claims. In addition, it should be understood that the aspects of the various incorporations can be exchanged in whole or in part. In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing description is by way of example only and that there is no attempt to limit the invention thus described in the appended claims.

Claims (19)

1. R E I V I N D I C A C I O N E S 1. A fibrous tissue that includes: f ibras, and a composition applied to the fabric so that the fabric is able to attract and trap the negatively charged material, said composition comprises a complex of at least one multivalently charged metal cation and at least one electron-rich compound selected from the group that It consists of a surfactant, an alcohol and a processing aid.
2. 2. A fibrous tissue as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the electron-rich compound comprises an alcohol selected from the group consisting of octanol, hexanol, isopropanol, ethanol.
3. 3. A fibrous tissue as claimed in clause 1 or 2, characterized in that a fibrous tissue as claimed in clauses 1 or 2, characterized in that the electron-rich compound comprises a processing aid selected from the group consisting of a wetting agent surfactant, a viscosity modifier, a binding agent, a surface modifier, a salt, or a pH modifier.
4. 4. A fibrous tissue as claimed in any one of the preceding clauses, characterized in that said electron-rich compound is a surfactant selected from the group consisting of linear branched chain alkyl benzene sulfonates; linear branched-chain alkyl sulfates; linear branched chain alkyl ethoxy sulfates; esters of silicone phosphate, silicone sulphates, silicone carboxylates, fatty acid salts and nonionic surfactants.
5. 5. A fibrous tissue as claimed in any one of the preceding clauses, characterized in that said electron-rich compound is an anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of dodecyl sulfate, tetradecyl sulfate and hexadecyl sulfate.
6. 6. A fibrous tissue as in any one of the preceding clauses, characterized in that it comprises: olefinic fibers, and A bacteriostatic composition applied to the tissue so that the tissue is able to attract and trap bacteria in the tissue, said bacteriostatic composition comprises a complex of at least one charged metal cation multivalently bound to at least one surfactant.
7. 7. A fibrous tissue as claimed in any one of the preceding clauses, characterized in that said charged metal cation is an aluminum cation.
8. 8. A fibrous tissue as claimed in any one of the preceding clauses, characterized in that said electron-rich compound is an anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of monovalent anionic surfactants and divalent anionic surfactants.
9. 9. A fibrous tissue as claimed in any one of the preceding clauses, characterized in that said complex is a precipitate that is insoluble in the aqueous solution.
10. 10. A fibrous tissue as claimed in any one of the preceding clauses, characterized in that said complex has a net positive charge.
11. 11. A fibrous tissue as claimed in any one of the preceding clauses, characterized in that said complex is selected from the group consisting of: (a) AIR3-nXn and (b) AI2R3-nX2n, Where R is an anionic surfactant, X is a non-surfactant counterion having a valence of -1 and n is an integer of 0-2.
12. 12. A fibrous tissue as claimed in any one of the preceding clauses, characterized in that said complex is formed from a reaction of an aluminum salt and a surfactant treatment.
13. 13. A fibrous tissue as claimed in clause 12, characterized in that said aluminum salt is selected from the group consisting of an aluminum chlorohydrate, aluminum chlorohydrol, potassium aluminum, sodium aluminum and aluminum sulfate.
14. 14. A fibrous tissue as claimed in clauses 12 or 13, characterized in that said surfactant treatment is selected from the group consisting of sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium tetradecyl sulfate and sodium hexadecyl sulfate.uncle.
15. 15. A fibrous tissue as claimed in any one of the preceding clauses, characterized in that the fabric is a non-woven fabric selected from the group consisting of spun-bonded fabrics, blown fabrics with fusion, fabrics placed by air, fabrics placed in wet and combinas and laminates thereof.
16. 16. A method for providing a net positive charge to a fabric of one of any of the preceding clauses comprising: providing a fibrous fabric comprising olefinic fibers, the fabric having an initial basis weight; moistening the fabric with an aqueous solu, wherein the aqueous solu contains at least one multivalently charged metal ca and at least one component selected from the group consisting of alcohols, surfactants, viscosity modifiers, binding agents, surface modifiers , salts and pH modifiers; remove excess liquid from the tissue; Y drying the fabric so that multivalent metal ca remains on or integrated into the tissue in an amount sufficient to increase the initial basis weight of the fabric by at least about 1.0%.
17. 17. A method for making a fabric as claimed in any one of the preceding clauses: providing a fibrous fabric comprising olefinic fibers, the fabric having an initial basis weight; moistening the tissue with a first aqueous solu, wherein the first aqueous solu contains a non-ionic surfactant, or an anionic surfactant; moistening the tissue with a second aqueous solu, wherein the second aqueous solu contains a multivalent metal ca; Y precipitating a metal-surfactant complex from the solu so that the metal-surfactant complex remains on or integrated into the tissue in an amount sufficient to increase the initial basis weight of the fabric by at least about 55.
18. 18. A method as claimed in clause 17, characterized in that the second aqueous solu is added to the tissue while the tissue is saturated with the first aqueous solu.
19. 19. A method as claimed in any one of clauses 17 to 18, characterized in that the first aqueous solu is added to the tissue while the tissue is saturated with the second aqueous solu. SUMMARY A fibrous tissue containing a composi capable of treating and / or trapping negatively charged material, such as bacteria and other pathogens, is generally described. The bacteriostatic composi can be a multivalently charged metal ion, such as an aluminum ca, bound to at least one surfactant. The surfactant may be an anionic surfactant, such as an alkyl sulfate. Also, methods for forming a fibrous tissue, capable of trapping negatively charged matter, are generally provided.