Preliminary studies on the preparation and properties of chitosan nonwovens modified with acid vapors

Abstract

The aim of the study was to develop methods for modifying chitosan nonwovens in the gas phase (application of acid vapors). Organic and inorganic acids were used in the research. The time of treating chitosan nonwovens with acid vapors ranged from 10 to 120 min. The conducted research has shown that it is possible to modify chitosan nonwovens with the use of acid vapors (organic and inorganic). It was found that the action of acid vapors does not have a destructive effect on chitosan fibers (SEM tests), which means that the developed method can be applied to various forms of chitosan materials, while the modification is carried out on the finished form. Microbiological tests were used to investigate the activity and growth of the microorganisms, which were related to the acids in the modified nonwovens. Only materials modified with acetic acid and hydrochloric acid were found to have bacteriostatic properties against S. aureus and E. coli (gramnegative and gram-positive bacteria). It was also found that chitosan formate significantly reduced the number of colonies of S. aureus.