Radiation induced grafting of vinylbenzyltrimethylammonium chloride (VBT) onto cotton fabric for incorporating antibacterial property

Radiation polymerized poly (Vinylbenzyltrimethylammonium chloride) (PVBT) was tested for anti-bacterial property against E. coli, S. aureus and Salmonella typhimurium bacteria, and was seen to posses very good anti-bacterial activity against the above strains. PVBT was grafted onto cotton fabric by simultaneous radiation grafting using 60Co-gamma radiation. Grafting level up to ∼40% were achieved under optimized conditions. The grafted cotton samples showed good anti-bacterial activity against. E. coli and S. aureus, but poor activity against Salmonella typhimurium. The bacterial counts reduces by ∼6 log cycles for the bacteria E. coli and S. aureus with in 6 hours time. Grafted cotton samples retain their antibacterial properties even after several cycles of washing in commercial detergent. (author)