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Montazer M, Hajimirzababa H, Rahimi MK, Alibakhshi S. Durable Anti-bacterial Nylon Carpet Using Colloidal Nano Silver.
FIBRES & TEXTILES in Eastern Europe
2012; 20, 4(93): 96-101.
96
Durable Anti-bacterial Nylon Carpet Using
Colloidal Nano Silver
M. Montazer,
*H. Hajimirzababa,
**M. K. Rahimi,
***S. Alibakhshi
Textile Department,
Amirkabir University of Technology,
Center of Excellence in Textile,
Hafez Avenue, Tehran, Iran
E-mail: tex5mm@aut.ac.ir
*Young Researchers Club,
Science and Research Branch,
Islamic Azad University,
Tehran, Iran
** Medical Science Department,
Azad University,
Tehran, Iran
***Textile Department,
Isfahan University of Technology,
Isfahan, Iran
Abstract
Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) are increasingly being incorporated in a variety of products,
textiles, and in healthcare, mainly due to their antibacterial properties. The present study
investigated the antimicrobial efciency and colour changes of oor covering loaded with
colloidal silver nanoparticles via a simple and cost-effective method. The inuences of col-
loidal concentration on antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus
aureus as well as laundering durability were studied. The results of the silver-treated oor
covering (nylon 6 piles) with 50 - 100 ppm dilution exhibited outstanding antimicrobial
efciency and indicated a 99.42% reduction in Staphylococcus aureus and a 79.25% re-
duction in Escherichia coli. Furthermore, the bioactivity of Ag-NPs was maintained even
after ten washings. The removal of silver nanoparticles in wastewater was investigated by
UV–visible spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and EDX were employed
to conrm the presence of nano silver on the surface. The results indicated that Gram
positive bacteria are more tolerant to silver than Gram negative bacteria. An appropriate
antimicrobial agent deposited on oor covering can prevent unpleasant odours and growth
of pathogenic microorganisms.
Key words: antimicrobial, nano silver, oor covering, nylon, durability.
groups, thereby preventing protein syn-
thesis [16, 17].
Multifunctional domestic implements,
especially oor covering with antimi-
crobial properties, have been actively
developed to prevent human contamina-
tion and the exposure of any bacterium
in the human life environment [18]. The
large surface area and ability to retain the
moisture of the oor covering also assist
the growth of microorganisms on the fab-
ric [19, 20]. Using silver nanoparticles
leads to an increase in the number of par-
ticles per unit area, thereby maximising
antimicrobial effects [21].
The purpose of this study was to deter-
mine the antibacterial activity of silver
nanoparticles deposited on nylon car-
pet against Staphylococcus aureus and
Escherichia coli bacteria. As one of the
challenges in the development of textile
applications is to keep the process sim-
ple and inexpensive, special attention
was paid to using an easy and applicable
method. Therefore this paper presents a
simple and effective method for the an-
tibacterial treatment of nylon carpet that
contains silver nanoparticles via spraying.
n Experimental
Material
The solution used was colloidal nano sil-
ver in alcohol media with an average par-
ticle size of 5 nm (0.8%) 8000 ppm, sup-
plied by Narminchemie Co. Iran. A car-
pet of pile loop nylon was produced by
Palaz Moquette Co. Iran. Carpet samples
n Introduction
In the past few decades many efforts have
been made in nanotechnology and na-
noparticles due to their unique properties
and potential application in healthcare,
medicine, domestic textiles, and hygienic
as well as protective textiles [1 - 4]. Now-
adays there has been constantly increas-
ing concern about the health hazard aris-
ing during medical and other treatment
from microbial infections [5]. The means
of shielding the human body against such
threats need to be developed, with one of
the most popular being the production
of antimicrobial textiles for usage inside
protective clothing, medical gauzes and
sheets [6]. Due to the signicant increase
in using bactericide, antiviral and fungi-
cide products, there is great demand for
the antimicrobial nishes of textiles, as
an excellent culture to control the growth
of microorganisms and prevent textiles
from the deterioration of odours, which is
a health concern caused by microorgan-
isms [7-9]. Silver based antimicrobials
have captured much attention not only
because of the non-toxicity of active Ag+
to human cells but also due to their nov-
elty in being a long lasting biocide with
high temperature stability and low vola-
tility [10, 11].
Silver nanoparticles show an efcient
and strong antimicrobial property com-
pared to other agents due to their large
surface area to volume ratio, which pro-
vides better contact with microorgan-
isms [12 - 15]. Ag-NPs penetrate inside
the cell membrane and react with thiol
97
FIBRES & TEXTILES in Eastern Europe 2012, Vol. 20, No. 4 (93)
were in a nylon (polyamide-6) pile-loop
form. The carpet is formed from three
layers, with the rst layer made of nylon
yarn, the second layer - polypropylene,
and the third layer was non-woven poly-
ester attached to the second layer with a
synthetic resin.
Method
First, silver nano particle solutions of dif-
ferent concentration (50, 75, 100 ppm)
were prepared. The volumes of the solu-
tions were chosen based on the appropri-
ate concentration of nano silver in the
ppm scale; the primary concentration
was 80 ppm, selected within the range
50 - 100 ppm. Then nylon carpet samples
were cut to the size of 5 × 10 cm2.
Here a spraying method was used as be-
ing convenient for the application of an
antibacterial compound to the carpet due
to the latter’s construction. Thus 10 mL
of different percentages of silver nano
particle solution were sprayed on the sur-
face of the carpet, and then the samples
were put in an oven at 100 °C for 30 min
to 90 min. Then the samples treated were
cut to the small size of 0.5 × 1 cm2 and
prepared for antibacterial testing
The AATCC 100-2004 test method was
applied to evaluate bacterial reduction
via immersing the treated samples in
bacteria solution. The two main types of
bacteria, a Gram positive (Staphylococ-
cus aureus, AATCC 6538) and a Gram
negative (Escherichia coli, AATCC
11303), were prepared for testing. All
samples were tested in two cultured
bacteria based on the McFarland stand-
ard, 1.5 × 108 CFU/mL and 1 × 10-3
(0.5 McFarland). The sterile samples
prepared were immersed in 1 mL of an
appropriate dilution in a bacterium test
tube (according to the McFarland stand-
ard). The test tubes contained carpet and
bacteria solution and were transferred to
an incubator with a temperature of 37 °C
for 24 h. The tubes were then removed
from the incubator and the solution was
dripped onto a plate to assess antibac-
terial properties. From each test tube,
0.1 mL of bacterial suspension mixed
with melted trypticase soy agar (45 °C)
was cultured and placed in the incubator
at 37 °C for 24 h, and then the bacterial
colony was counted. The bacterial reduc-
tion was calculated with the use of Equa-
tion 1.
washed 1 to 10 times with 1% (w/v) de-
tergent solution at 60 °C for 20 min, and
nally the antibacterial characteristics
were obtained and compared.
Moreover the spectra absorbed were
measured with a Cary 300 UV-vis spec-
trophotometer to show the existence of
nano silver in the washing efuent.To
have a precise study of the treated carpet
surface and silver nano particles, scan-
ning electron microscopy (SEM: model
LEO 440i, England) at 300 - 30000 mag-
nication was used. Energy-dispersive
X-ray analysis (EDX) was also used to
conrm the presence of silver particles as
well [22].
n Results and discussion
By counting the number of bacteria in
the control and treated sample, the reduc-
tion in the bacterial percentage was de-
termined. The results of the reduction in
all concentrations with two bacteria are
reported in Tables 1 and 2. Table 1 indi-
cates that the minimum dilution of silver
nano particle solution (50 ppm = 0.05%)
has a bacteriostatic property of 99.99%
in 1.9 × 104 CFU/mL of S. aureus bac-
terium, and by increasing the dilution up
to 100 ppm a 99.99% bacterial reduction
was obtained.
100×
−
=
A
BA
C
(1)
where C is the bacterial reduction ratio
in percentage CFU/ml, A the number of
bacterial colonies from untreated fabrics,
and B is the numbers of bacterial colo-
nies form treated fabrics.
Moreover the colour change was con-
siderably more prominent on the carpet
loaded with Ag-NPs in high dilution col-
loid. The colour changed from yellow to
brown, which occurs during an oxidation
reaction, being a common disadvantage
of Ag particles. This experiment attempt-
ed to nd an appropriate dilution not only
with an excellent antimicrobial property
but also one producing carpet without
yellowing. To assess colour changes in
the carpet, color indexes L*a*b* were
measured and reported. Also the colour
changes were reported based on the cal-
culation of ∆E (Equation 2).
2
1
*
2
*2
1
*
2
*2
1
*
2
*
12
)()()(Contrast bbaaLLEEE −+−+−=−=∆=
(2)
2
1
*
2
*2
1
*
2
*2
1
*
2
*
12
)()()(
Contrast
bbaaLL
EEE
−+−+−=
−=∆=
With regards to the importance of dura-
ble nishing treatment and exploring the
durability of silver on a product against
repeated washing, samples were standard
Table 1. Assessment of antibacterial nishes on nylon 6 carpet treated with nano silver after
one to ten washings with a dilution factor of 1×10-3 (0.5 McFarland).
Bacteria
Silver concentration, ppm
50 75 100
1st
washing
10th
washing
1st
washing
10th
washing
1st
washing
10th
washing
Staphylococcus
aureus, CFU/mL
Start 1.9×1041.9×104 1.9×104
After 24 h 0 6×1010 1×1010 0
Reduction % 99.99 99.69 99.99 99.95 99.99 99.99
Escherichia coli,
CFU/mL
Start 1.9×1041.9×1041.9×104
After 24 h 1.9×1033.1×1031.1×1022.6×1022×1014.1×102
Reduction % 92.11 83.68 99.42 86.32 99.89 97.84
ppm50ppm25
Raw
ppm1000ppm100
ppm75
Figure 1. Colour changes of raw and treated carpets with different Ag-NPs concentrations.
FIBRES & TEXTILES in Eastern Europe 2012, Vol. 20, No. 4 (93)
98
Lee and Jeong observed a bacteriostat-
ic of 99.99% against S. aureus and K.
pneumonia,while the concentrations of
the colloidal silver bath were 10, 20, and
30 ppm on nonwoven polyester fabrics
treated with 2 - 3 nm silver particles [23].
Table 1 (see page 97) shows the silver
not only preserved its durability after re-
peated washings but also its antibacterial
property. The durability of the antibacte-
rial property against S. aureus was more
than for E. coli. However, after 10 wash-
ings, the percentage of bacterial reduc-
tion decreased due to unabsorbed silver
nanoparticles on the surface of the bre,
which had been removed after primary
rinsing. The reduction percentages were
low in comparison with the increase in
concentration of nano silver but were
within the acceptable range of antibacte-
rial activity.
The highest antibacterial properties
against two different kinds of bacte-
ria were obtained at 1.9 × 104 CFU/mL
(lower bacteria) with 100 ppm of nano
silver. Table 1 (see page 97) indicates that
by decreasing the dilution of bacteria to
1.9 × 104 CFU/mL, an appropriate anti-
bacterial is obtained.
Using a colloidal solution of nano silver
with a 50 - 100 ppm concentration pro-
duced the best antibacterial properties
without any signicant changes in colour.
Figure 1 (see page 97) presents the col-
our produced on the samples treated with
different concentrations, and Figure 2
shows the colour changes based on ∆E.
Furthermore, to conrm the presence of
silver nanoparticles in the efuent and
its durability during repeated washings,
UV-vis spectroscopy was employed. The
curves indicate that there is a peak at
around 300 nm for nano silver solution,
whereas there is no peak to conrm the
presence of nano silver in the efuent.
The results are shown in Figure 3.
SEM images and EDX analyses obtained
from the samples conrmed the presence
of silver on the surface of the carpet.
SEM images of the nanoparticles are il-
lustrated in Figure 4. In all SEM images,
Ag-NPs showed in white colours after 10
repeated washings, conrming reasona-
ble durability for antibacterial properties.
The EDX patterns indicated a small peak
related to Ag, due to the very low silver
concentration (100 ppm) (Figure 5).
According to the results presented in
Table 2, Ag-NPs showed very good an-
tibacterial properties even at a very low
concentration in relation to the maximum
bacteria dilution 1.5 × 108 (0.5 McFar-
land).
The bacterial reduction of carpets with
75, 100 ppm of Ag-NPs against S. aureus
was about 98% after the rst washing due
to the high durability of the silver nano-
particle solutions. The resistance of nano
silver gradually decreased particularly
against S. aureus, showing very low re-
sistance after ten washings. There is also
a slight difference by increasing the dilu-
tion from 50 to 100.
E. coli was more resistant than S. aureus
against the antibacterial compound after
10 washings; however, by increasing the
silver concentration from 50 ppm to 100
ppm, the antibacterial property was about
79.25% after 10 washings.
The aim of this study was to provide
strict conditions on a product to deter-
mine the maximum viability of silver na-
noparticles against two kinds of bacteria.
Figures 6 and 7 (see page 100) show the
number of bacterial colonies in the con-
E
ppm
Figure 2. ∆E alteration for different carpets treated with various Ag-NPs concentrations.
Nano silver solution
Remaining washing bath
after 1 to 10 washings
200 300 400 500 600
Wavelength, nm
3
2
1
0
Absorbance
Figure 3. UV–vis spectrum of the silver nanoparticle solution and remaining washing bath
after 1 to 10 washings.
Table 2. Antibacterial properties of carpets treated with nano silver after one and ten wash-
ings against different bacterium with 0.5 McFarland.
Bacteria
Silver concentration, ppm
50 75 100
1st
washing
10th
washing
1st
washing
10th
washing
1st
washing
10th
washing
Staphylococcus
aureus, CFU/mL
Start 6.5×1056.5×1056.5×105
After 24 h 2.2×1047.9×1041.5×1041.8×1043.8×1023.8×103
Reduction % 96.62 87.85 97.69 97.23 99.94 99.42
Escherichia coli,
CFU/mL
Start 5.3×1055.3×1055.3×105
After 24 h 2.2×1052.7×1053.4×1041.9×105<10 1.1×105
Reduction % 58.49 49.06 93.58 64.15 99.99 79.25
99
FIBRES & TEXTILES in Eastern Europe 2012, Vol. 20, No. 4 (93)
trol and treated samples after 10 wash-
ings against both bacteria.
Zheng et al. reported that silver treated
cotton fabrics showed an excellent and
durable antibacterial effect against both
S. aureus and E. coli with over 98.77%
bacterial reduction even after 20 consec-
utive home launderings [24]. Vesna et.al
indicated that cotton fabrics loaded with
silver nanoparticles from 10 ppm and
50 ppm colloid exhibit excellent antibac-
terial activity against E. coli, S. aureus
and C. albicans. On the other hand, in an-
other research it was reported that cotton
fabrics loaded with silver nanoparticles
with 10 ppm colloid showed poor laun-
dering durability. However, the desirable
antibacterial efciency of cotton fabrics
loaded with silver nanoparticles from
50 ppm colloid was preserved after ve
washings [25]. Jantas indicated that anti-
bacterial textile showed an excellent an-
tibacterial effect against E. coli and could
withstand 50 washings [26].
Suk-Woo Park et al. revealed that nylon
6/silver possessed excellent antibacte-
rial properties and an inhibitory effect
on the growth of S. aureus and K. pneu-
moniae [27].
In the present study, the most suscepti-
ble bacteria were S. aureus and E. coli .
Tests performed on carpets indicated that
the antibacterial properties were greater
a) b) c)
d) e) f)
Figure 4. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of nylon 6 bres at different magnications in 100 ppm nano silver: a) without washing
(500×), b) without washing (30000×), c) after one washing (500×), d) after one washing (30000×), e) after ten washings (500×), f) after
ten washings (30000×).
a) b)
Figure 5. a) EDX patterns of a) raw sample b) sample treated with 100 ppm nano silver
after 10 washings.
against the Gram negative (E. coli) than
with the Gram positive (S. aureus). In
general, Gram positive bacteria appeared
to be more tolerant to silver than Gram
negative cells. It has previously been
reported that Gram positive bacteria are
less susceptible to the antibacterial activ-
ity of silver. This resistance may be at-
tributed to Gram negative bacteria with
complicated cell walls. The cell wall of
Gram negative consists of lipids, proteins
and lipopolysaccharides (LPS), provid-
ing effective protection against biocides,
whereas Gram positive is without LPS.
On the other hand, Gram positive has a
simple cell wall structure in which the
cytoplasm membrane has a rigid pepti-
doglycan layer composed of networks
with plenty of pores, which allow foreign
molecules to enter the cell without any
difculty [28-30].
Our intention in this work was to assem-
ble silver nanoparticles on carpets using
a simple method applicable in industry in
terms of safety and with the least impact
on the environment. Nylon was chosen as
a biodegradable and biocompatible poly-
mer, widely used in many industrial elds
due to its low cost, superior bre form-
ing ability (resiliency), good mechanical
strength, and strong chemical and thermal
stability.
n Conclusions
The purpose of this paper was to nd an
easy way to apply nano size silver colloi-
FIBRES & TEXTILES in Eastern Europe 2012, Vol. 20, No. 4 (93)
100
dal solution on carpet to obtain an anti-
bacterial effect without colour changes.
Utilising nano silver solution to remove
bacteria, due to its economical consump-
tion and competent performance of its
applications, is widely employed in com-
parison with other nishing agents. By
controlling the activity of the pathogenic
factor, this technology is important for
everyday applications. Therefore it has
become preferred to other improvement
and manufacturing methods because of
its high efciency, applicability, envi-
ronmental compatibility and durability
. With regard to the operations carried
out on nylon carpet with very low rate
of nano silver (50-100 ppm), the high-
est degree of removing bacterial against
the most common bacteria was achieved
without signicant colour change. In
addition, the spraying method could be
applied to the last stage of nishing on
the carpets or even used domestically by
spraying during usage. UV-vis spectra
conrmed that there is no silver in wash-
ing efuent. This high aspect ratio of the
antibacterial property on carpet without
any side effects of silver on the environ-
ment suggests potential application in
other textile areas.
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Technical University of Lodz
Faculty of Material Technologies
and Textile Design
Department
of Material and Commodity Sciences
and Textile Metrology
Activity prole: The Department conducts scientic research and educa-
tional activities in a wide range of elds:
n Material science and textile metrology
n Structure and technology of nonwovens
n Structure and technology of yarns
n The physics of bres
n Surface engineering of polymer materials
n Product innovations
n Commodity science and textile marketing
Fields of cooperation: innovative technologies for producing nonwo-
vens, yarns and lms, including nanotechnologies, composites, bioma-
terials and personal protection products, including sensory textronic sys-
tems, humanoecology, biodegradable textiles, analysis of product innova-
tion markets, including aspects concerning corporate social responsibil-
ity (CSR), intellectual capital, and electronic commerce.
Research offer: A wide range of research services is provided for the
needs of analyses, expert reports, seeking innovative solutions and prod-
ucts, as well as consultation on the following areas: textile metrology,
the physics of bres, nonwovens, brous composites, the structure and
technology of yarns, marketing strategies and market research. A high
quality of the services provided is guaranteed by gathering a team of
specialists in the elds mentioned, as well as by the wide range of re-
search laboratories equipped with modern, high-tech, and often unique
research equipment. Special attention should be paid to the unique, on
a European scale, laboratory, which is able to research the biophysical
properties of textile products, ranging from medtextiles and to clothing,
especially items of special use and personal protection equipment. The
laboratory is equipped with normalised measurement stations for estimat-
ing the physiological comfort generated by textiles: a model of skin and
a moving thermal manikin with the options of ‘sweating’ and ‘breathing’.
Moreover, the laboratory also has two systems for estimating sensory
comfort – the Kawabata Evaluation System (KES) and FAST.
Educational prole: Educational activity is directed by educating engi-
neers, technologists, production managers, specialists in creating inno-
vative textile products and introducing them to the market, specialists in
quality control and estimation, as well as specialists in procurement and
marketing. The graduates of our specialisations nd employment in many
textile and clothing companies in Poland and abroad. The interdisciplinary
character of the Department allows to gain an extraordinarily comprehen-
sive education, necessary for the following:
n Independent management of a business;
n Working in the public sector, for example in departments of control
and government administration, departments of self-government
administration, non-government institutions and customs services;
n Professional development in R&D units, scientic centres and labo-
ratories.
For more information please contact:
Department of Material and Commodity Sciences and Textile Metrology
Technical Universiy of Lodz
ul. Żeromskiego 116, 90-924 Łódź, Poland
tel.: (48) 42-631-33-17 e-mail: nonwovens@p.lodz.pl web site: http://www.k48.p.lodz.pl/
