SBIR Phase II: Surface Modification of Textiles for Protective Clothing

这个小型企业创新研究第二阶段项目涉及通过氧化性聚合物的接枝聚合对纺织品表面进行改性，从而产生一种能够根除/中和病原微生物、杀虫剂和化学/生物武器的织物。这种织物可用于生产医用纺织品，以减少传染病病原体在医院的传播，保护农业工人不接触杀虫剂，并在发生恐怖主义或战争时保护军事人员和急救人员不接触化学/生物武器。第一阶段的研究表明，接枝织物对微生物和化学物质都有很高的抗菌效果。改良后的织物对完好的皮肤和磨损(受损)的皮肤都没有刺激性。在该第二阶段项目中，研究将包括优化接枝聚合工艺、针对微生物和化学挑战对优化织物进行广泛测试、通过反复洗涤进行耐久性测试、机械性能评估、广泛的细胞毒性和刺激性测试、容量和再生性评估、储存稳定性评估、中试工厂生产运行，以及为战略合作伙伴定制生产/测试织物。该项目将开发的织物技术在医疗、农业和军事领域的各种利基应用中具有巨大的潜力。除了这些产品存在的巨大市场外，这项技术还具有明显的社会效益。感染控制是医疗设施中的一个巨大问题，导致住院时间延长并导致更高的医疗费用。这种改性织物可以制成医用纺织品，用作外科窗帘、手术服、实验室大衣、床单、隐私窗帘、长袍等。农场工人可以保护自己免受田间使用的杀虫剂的影响。这种面料可用于为急救人员和军事人员生产防护服，这些人员发现自己所处的环境存在暴露于化学/生物武器的潜在风险。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project involves the modification of the surface of textiles through graft polymerization of an oxidizing polymer resulting in a fabric which has the ability to eradicate/neutralize pathogenic microorganisms, pesticides, and chemical/biological weapons. The fabric could be used to produce medical textiles in order to reduce the transmission of infectious pathogens in hospitals, protect agricultural workers from contact with pesticides, and protect military personnel and first responders from contact with chemical/biological weapons in the event of terrorism or war. The Phase I research showed that the grafted fabric was highly effective against both microbial and chemical agents. The modified fabric was also found to be non-irritating to both intact and abraded (compromised) skin. In this Phase II project the research will consist of optimizing the graft polymerization process, extensive testing of the optimized fabric against microbial and chemical challenges, durability testing through repeated laundering, mechanical property evaluation, extensive cytotoxicity and irritation testing, capacity and regenerability assessment, stability assessment in storage, pilot plant production runs, and custom production/testing of fabric for a strategic partner. The fabric technology to be developed in this project has a vast amount of potential in a variety of niche applications in the medical, agricultural, and military arenas. In addition to the huge markets that exist for these products, there are obvious societal benefits that are inherent with the technology. Infection control is a huge problem in medical facilities resulting in prolonged hospital stays and leads to higher medical costs. The modified fabric could be constructed into medical textiles for use as surgical drapes, scrubs, lab coats, bed sheets, privacy drapes, gowns, etc. Farm workers could protect themselves from exposure to the pesticides they use in the field. The fabric could be employed in the production of protective clothing for first responders and military personnel who find themselves in an environment where there is a potential riskof exposure to chemical/biological weapons.