Sustainable Milkweed Fiber Composites for Medical Textile Application

Although petroleum-based products are usually cheaper and extensively used in many areas, scientists have been making a great effort to replace them with biodegradable and environmentally friendly counterparts. In this study, we have employed milkweed fibers with biobased bicomponent poly(lactic acid)/poly(butylene succinate) core/sheath fibers to create sustainable nonwovens which might be used as a disposable surgical gown. Fibers with different blending ratios are carded and then hot pressed to create mechanically durable webs which are superior to commercial surgical gowns. In addition, the other physical properties of the hot-pressed webs such as thermal comfort, moisture vapor and air permeability, water repellency, and antibacterial activity have been investigated. The obtained results indicate that hot-pressed webs might be an environmentally friendly alternative to current petroleum-based disposable surgical gowns.