Ag Flex Technologies, an Indian producer of yarns and fibres, is developing a new range of anti-bacterial products that cover various applications from life saving body armour fabrics to wound care dressings and lifestyle products, using a permanent proprietory metallisation technology.

The company is working under the Flexsil brand to provide microbial protection, serving military, healthcare, home textiles, sports and consumer markets. “We offer Flexsil as both raw material and finished goods so the list is fairly long,” explained Subramanya Prasad CMO & Director, Ag Flex Technologies.

“For example as raw materials we offer filament yarn, staple, spun yarn, twisted yarn, chopped fibre, fabrics and foam. As finished goods we offer socks, base layer, shirts, shorts, EMI shielding briefs for pregnant ladies, radiation protection camisoles, home goods products such as sheets, mattress ticking and wound care products and smart textile products under our SilverGuard brand.”

Metallisation technology

Flexsil brand is not a treatment technology and its  metallisation technology entails permanent chemical bonding between the substrate (nylon 66) with silver.

The various atoms of nylon get bonded with silver via a process called coordination bonding. The metalized nylon can be in the form of filament yarn, staple, chopped fibre, fabrics or foam. The silver on the surface of the substrate is said to be of highest purity (99.99%).

Different and innovative

The producers of the product believe the company’s technology is different from silver based anti-bacterial treatments for textiles offered by other manufacturers.

“Most of those processes incorporate some kind of silver into a polymer. Finished goods are then to be dipped into this liquid media to get the effect. This kind of technology is not permanent as the same will start washing off from the first laundry itself,” said Subramanya Prasad.

“Our technology is different as we metalize the base substrate which can be then woven, knit, carded, spun into any construction. So the products need no special treatment/dip to be used.”

Anti-microbial properties

When silver metal on the substrate comes in contact with bacteria or fungi, positive ions of silver are released. The ions first lyses the cell wall, then goes after the respiratory segment of bacteria and finally binds with DNA thereby completely killing the pathogenic bacteria.

As binding with DNA occurs, there is virtually no chance of resistance being built up against silver by bacteria, the manufacturer reports. The product is said to work on an intra-cellular level, disrupting the DNA of micro-organisms on the fabric and effectively suffocating microbial activity.

Odour control

According to the company, Flexsil also controls odour by adsorbing and deactivating odour causing agents such as dead bacteria, dead human skin, offensive decomposition of organic materials, and more.

It is also said to help in transferring the wearer’s heat and keeping them comfortable during various weather conditions and moisture movement.

Smart textiles

Ag Flex is also involved in designing combat fatigues with pathways of conductive fibres to deliver power to the increasing amount of equipment which soldiers now wear for combat.

The company is also offering Smart Shirts having embroidered antennae using Flexsil multi filament silver yarns. The embroidered antennae can be used by devices worn by the user to transmit and receive radio signals or to boost the device’s own transmission range.

The manufacturer is also developing concealed Smart Radio-Frequency Identification (SRFID) tags that could eventually be used to combat shop lifting.

www.agflxtec.com