Poly (ethylene terephthalate) nonwoven fabrics‐based membranes modified by electrospinning of thermoplastic polyurethane, nano SiO2 and Ag particles as medical packing materials

• Published in: Packaging technology & science 2022-07, Vol.35 (7), p.557-567
• Main Authors: Liu, Rongkun, Qu, Meijie, Qiu, Xuewen, Wang, Hai, Fan, Mingshuai, Zhang, Ali, Chen, Qiushan, Bin, Yuezhen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: composite membrane; Contact angle; electrostatic spinning; Ethylene; fibre technology; Hydrophobicity; Mechanical properties; Medical materials; medical packaging; Membranes; nanoparticles; Nonwoven fabrics; PET nonwoven; Polyethylene terephthalate; Polyurethane resins; Silicon dioxide; Silver; Spinning (materials); Tear strength; Tensile strength; Textile composites; Urethane thermoplastic elastomers; Water resistance; Water vapor
• ISSN: 0894-3214; 1099-1522
• DOI: 10.1002/pts.2651

Aiming at development of novel medical packings, poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET)‐based membranes with hydrophobic and antibacterial properties were prepared by electrostatic spinning of a blend of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), nano SiO2 and Ag particles on PET nonwoven. In cooperation with electro‐spun TPU/SiO2 layer, the water contact angle (WCA) of PET nonwoven fabric was improved from 60° to 115–130°, and the water vapour transmission rate was 2200–2500 g/m2/24 h. It indicates that the modified PET nonwoven membrane exhibits a much better water resistance, highly increased hydrophobicity and moderate water permeability. Nano‐silver provided excellent antibacterial properties for this non‐cytotoxic PET/TPU/SiO2/Ag composite membranes. The PET/TPU/SiO2/Ag composite membranes had high mechanical properties, which exhibited a tensile strength of 56 MPa in the longitudinal direction and 35 MPa in the transversal direction, and tear strength of 30 kN/m in the longitudinal direction and 48 kN/m in the transversal direction. This new PET/TPU/SiO2/Ag composite membranes showed broad application prospects in the medical packaging industry. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)‐base membrane with hydrophobic and antimicrobial properties was prepared by electrospinning a mixture of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), nano SiO2 and Ag on PET nonwoven. The modified PET‐base membranes exhibited excellent hydrophobicity and moisture permeability, as well as favourable antimicrobial properties and no cytotoxicity. It also had compared mechanical properties to those of a marketed medical packaging product (DuPont Tyvek 2FS). As a whole, this new composite membrane shows promising applications in the medical packaging industry.