PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL ABSORBENT LAYER FOR BABY DIAPER

Abstract

This project report is focused on the preparation and characterization of absorbent layer of baby diapers using bamboo fabric grafted with hydrogel. Graft copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA) hydrogel onto bamboo rayon fabric is carried out using potassium persulphate (KPS) as a free radical initiator in the presence of methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a cross-linker. The effects of reaction variables, such as concentration of MBA and KPS are optimized on the basis of water and synthetic urine absorbance capacity. Further, hydrogel layer is treated with sodium hydroxide to generate sodium polyacrylate. The swelling kinetics of sodium polyacrylate grafted hydrogel bamboo fabric is studied in pure water and synthetic urine. It is observed that sodium polyacrylate grafted hydrogel layer show less Fickian diffusion. The grafting of acrylic acid hydrogel layer on the bamboo fabric is confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. SEM micrograph shows a surface deposition of acrylic acid onto the bamboo fabric. Further the absorbent layer is modified by Silver Nitrate solution to give it bacterial resistance. The absorbent layer shows excellent antibacterial activity against Gram positive (S. aureus) and Gram negative (E. coli) bacteria.