Anti-microbial polymer compositions, fibers, and yarns

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11185071-B2
Application number	US-201916719186-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2019
Priority date	Dec 18, 2018
Publication date	Nov 30, 2021
Grant date	Nov 30, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure relates the polymer compositions, fibers, and yarns having near-permanent antimicrobial activity, and a method of producing the same. In one embodiment, the antimicrobial polymer composition from 50 wt % to 99.9 wt % of a polymer, from 5 wppm to 1000 wppm of zinc, and from 0.005 wt % to 1 wt % of phosphorus, wherein fibers formed from the polymer composition demonstrate a zinc retention rate of greater than 20% when tested in a dye bath test.

First claim

We claim:

1. A polymer composition having antimicrobial properties, the composition comprising:
from 50 wt % to 99.9 wt % of a thermoplastic polymer,
a zinc compound comprising zinc oxide, zinc pyrithione, or zinc ammonium adipate, or combinations thereof, and
benzene phosphinic acid;
wherein the polymer composition has a relative viscosity of 20 to 70;
wherein zinc content ranges from 5 wppm to 900 wppm;
wherein phosphorous content ranges from 0.005 wt % to 1 wt %;
wherein the molar ratio of phosphorous to zinc ranges from 0.01:1 to 3:1;
wherein fibers formed from the polymer composition demonstrate a zinc retention rate of greater than 20% when tested in a dye bath test with dyeing at a pH of 4.0 to 5.5 and have a denier less than 12 dpf.

2. The polymer composition of claim 1 , further comprising a delusterant comprising a titanium compound present in an amount less than 2.0 wt %.

3. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer composition demonstrates a zinc retention rate greater than 24% when the composition is formed into fibers and tested in a dye bath test.

4. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the zinc compound comprises zinc oxide.

5. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer composition demonstrates a Staphylococcus aureus reduction greater than 75% as measured by ISO 20743:2013.

6. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer composition demonstrates a Klebsiella pneumoniae reduction greater than 90% as measured by ISO 20743:2013.

7. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the zinc compound comprises zinc oxide; wherein the molar ratio of phosphorous to zinc ranges from 0.01:1 to 2.5:1; and wherein fibers formed from the polymer composition demonstrate a zinc retention rate greater than 24% when tested in a dye bath with dyeing at a pH of 4.0 to 5.5.

8. A method for making antimicrobial fibers comprising:
providing a polymer composition having antimicrobial properties, the polymer composition comprising:
from 50 wt % to 99.9 wt % of a thermoplastic polymer,
a zinc compound comprising zinc oxide, zinc pyrithione, or zinc ammonium adipate, or combinations thereof, and
benzene phosphinic acid;
wherein the polymer composition has a relative viscosity less than 70;
wherein zinc content ranges from 5 wppm to 900 wppm;
wherein phosphorous content ranges from 0.005 wt % to 1 wt %;
wherein the molar ratio of phosphorous to zinc ranges from 0.01:1 to 3:1; and
forming the polymer composition into fibers,
wherein the fibers have a denier less than 12 dpf and demonstrate a zinc retention rate of greater than 20% when tested in a dye bath test with dyeing at a pH of 4.0 to 5.5.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the polymer composition has a relative viscosity of 20 to 70.

10. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer comprises polyamide.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer comprises polyamide.

12. A polymer composition having antimicrobial properties, the composition comprising:
from 50 wt % to 99.9 wt % of a thermoplastic polymer,
zinc ammonium adipate, and
phosphorous present in an amount ranging from 0.005 wt % to 1 wt %,
wherein the polymer composition has a relative viscosity of 20 to 70; and
wherein zinc content ranges from 5 wppm to 900 wppm, and
wherein fibers formed from the polymer composition demonstrate a zinc retention rate of greater than 20% when tested in a dye bath test with dyeing at a pH of 4.0 to 5.5 and have a denier of less than 12 dpf; and
wherein the polymer composition demonstrates a Staphylococcus aureus reduction greater than 75% and demonstrates a Klebsiella pneumoniae reduction greater than 90% as measured by ISO 20743:2013.

13. The polymer composition of claim 12 , further comprising a delusterant comprising a titanium compound present in an amount less than 2.0 wt %.

14. The polymer composition of claim 12 , wherein the polymer composition demonstrates a Staphylococcus aureus reduction greater than 90% as measured by ISO 20743:2013.

15. The polymer composition of claim 12 , wherein the polymer composition demonstrates a Klebsiella pneumoniae reduction greater than 95% as measured by ISO 20743:2013.

16. A method for making antimicrobial fibers comprising:
providing a polymer composition having antimicrobial properties, the polymer composition comprising:
from 50 wt % to 99.9 wt % of a thermoplastic polymer,
zinc ammonium adipate,
and phosphorous present in an amount ranging from 0.005 wt % to 1 wt %;
wherein the polymer composition has a relative viscosity less than 70;
wherein zinc content ranges from 5 wppm to 900 wppm;
forming the polymer composition into fibers,
wherein the fibers have a denier less than 12 dpf and demonstrate a zinc retention rate of greater than 20% when tested in a dye bath test with dyeing at a pH of 4.0 to 5.5.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising a delusterant comprising a titanium compound present in an amount less than 2.0 wt %.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the fibers demonstrate a Staphylococcus aureus reduction greater than 75% as measured by ISO 20743:2013.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the fibers demonstrate a Klebsiella pneumoniae reduction greater than 90% as measured by ISO 20743:2013.

Assignees

• Ascend Performance Mat Operations Llc

Inventors

• Osborn Scott E
• Yung Wai-Shing

Classifications

• A01N57/22

  containing aromatic radicals · CPC title

• C08K9/04

  Ingredients treated with organic substances {(treated with macromolecular compounds C08K9/08)} · CPC title

• A01N59/26

  Phosphorus; Compounds thereof · CPC title

• D01F6/60

  from polyamides (from polyamino acids or polypeptides D01F6/68) · CPC title

• C08K5/0058 Primary

  Biocides; (macromolecular substances as carriers for biocide material A01N25/10) · CPC title