Evaluation of single-component chitosan fiber : from advanced materials to contemporary fashion manufacturing

Abstract

Advancements in material science have driven the development of the textile industry. Chitosan has inherent advantages, such as biodegradability, nontoxicity, and antibacterial and wound acceleration properties. It has been applied in the textile industry as a coating on fabrics. Nevertheless, research on single-component chitosan fibers is scant. The advantages of single-component chitosan fibers include improved comfort, laundry durability, abrasion resistance, and structural flexibility. To fill the mentioned research gap, this study developed an industrial-manufacturing-based method for testing and analyzing chitosan fibers. This method was demonstrated by studying the physical and biological performance of commercial chitosan fibers. Studying the characteristics of the chitosan fibers revealed the influence of the fiber structure on their performance. Although chitosan fibers with a higher degree of deacetylation had a shorter molecular chain, they exhibited higher strength. Moreover, the molecular weight and deacetylation degree influenced biological performance. Chitosan fibers with higher deacetylation degree chitosan had better antimicroorganism performance on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans; however, no such relationship was observed for the solution form of chitosan. These results imply a difference in antimicroorganism mechanisms between the fiber (solid) form and solution form of chitosan.