With a well established ability to kill off bacteria, silver has come to play a significant role in the development of antimicrobial materials. Indeed, we’ve seen it used in keyboards, built into water filtration systems and deployed in washing machines as a means of fending off germs. The latest effort to harness the bacteria-fighting qualities of silver comes from researchers at Australia’s RMIT University working with scientists from the CSIRO, who have developed an antibacterial fabric capable of killing off E. The team developed the antibacterial fabric by embedding sets of nanowires loaded with silver-TCNQ into a cotton textile. After being coated in a silver solution, the nanoarrays began to slowly release silver-ions that killed off bacteria as they came into contact. We took a T-shirt and dipped it into the silver solution under some controlled conditions to enable the nanowires.
Applications Applications. Basically, an antimicrobial is applied to a fabric to help fight off pathogens that could potentially infect a patient. What Is Whaf Technology? Nick Lavars. Glossary of Terms.
Around World War II, it became common to apply various substances and chemical treatments to fabrics for truck covers, uniforms, and other textiles to prevent the growth of microbes like mold, mildew, and bacteria, while keeping fabrics clean and strong, although those treatments often came with little regard to the health and environmental effects of their application. I happen to have a textiles science degree from UC Davis. Fabrics treated with an antibacterial finish offer additional protection against bacteria, viruses, and mold. Although the fibers themselves are resistant to microbial growth, if they are allowed to collect dirt, grime, and moisture, bacteria and mold will be able to grow. Testing Capabilities Testing Capabilities.