Functional Antibacterial Nanometer Zinc Ion Yarns: Manufacturing Technique and Antimicrobial Efficacy against Escherichia coli

People are no longer satisfied with only comfortable textile clothing with advanced technology and elevated standard of living and, thus, are gradually preferring functional textiles. In the meanwhile, the spread of medical knowledge has educated the public about the antimicrobial concept. In this study, composed of different twist coefficients and different numbers of plies, the zinc ion twisted yarns are made into knitted fabrics. Next, the knitted fabrics are examined for water vapor transmission rate and antimicrobial efficacy. The test results indicate that the water vapor transmission rate is 1013 g/m2/day for 2Zn-0C-K and 981 g/m2/day for 3Zn-0C-K. However, a rise in the twist coefficient adversely affects the water vapor transmission rate. The fabric 2Zn-3C-K exhibits the maximal air permeability of 265 cm3/cm2/s and 3Zn-3C-K 186 cm3/cm2/s. Regardless of whether it is at OD600, colony count observation, or antibacterial rate, 3Zn-5C-K exhibits the maximal antibacterial rate with the value being 0.45 at OD600 and the optimal antimicrobial efficacy being 85%. To sum up, based on the interest of the test results, production cost, and manufacturing process evaluation, 2Zn-5C-K is the optimal nonwoven fabric that achieved the maximal effects.