Novel refreshableN‐halamine polymeric biocides: Grafting hydantoin‐containing monomers onto high performance fibers by a continuous process

In this study, a continuous “pad‐dry‐cure” process was developed for the first time to graft a cycloamine monomer, 3‐allyl‐5,5‐dimethylhydantoin (ADMH), onto several high performance fibers, including Nomex, Kermel, and a PBI/Kevlar blend. The influence of reaction conditions on the grafting copolymerizaiton was studied. It was found that in the presence of a difunctional monomer, poly(ethylene glycol)–diacrylate (PEG–DIA), ADMH could be readily grafted onto these fibers. After exposure to chlorine, the hydantoin structures in the grafted samples could be transformed intoN‐halamines, which provided powerful, durable, and regenerable antibacterial activities against both gram‐negative and gram‐positive bacteria. The influence of hydrophobic/rigid properties of the fabrics on grafting reactions as well as on their antibacterial activities was discussed, and the importance of full contact was emphasized.