Development of advanced sanitary materials

In recent years the field of oriented polymers has been the driving force behind the development of new technology aimed towards the production of biodegradable and sustainable materials with specific functions. Polysaccharide materials (e.g. cellulose in the form of fibre, a film or membrane) satisfy the given criteria. Cellulose fibres have a large active surface area and are a suitable starting material for various modification procedures that lead to improved consumer qualities of the material. One of the important criteria, when deciding how appropriate cellulose materials are, is their surface and biological activity. With the goal of developing new and more important biologically active materials, that have to be biodegradable and will represent a potentially renewable resource, the new research should be oriented on the cellulose modification using various oligosaccharides. Processing cellulose with various oligosaccharides to achieve greater functionality allows for wide usage of the end product, through maintaining or improving the mechanical qualities of the finished material. Such modifications are targeted towards giving the material a hydrophobic/hydrophilic character and the resulting increase or decrease in reactivity, as well as a change in functionality, which allows for the development of more efficient processing conditions that result in the better exploitation of supplementary materials and chemicals with a simultaneous increase in the finished product quality. Nowadays, most of the hydrocolloids are usually based on carboxymethyl cellulose CMC, which can adhere to moist surfaces, adsorb water and form a protective gel. In this work the coating procedure for cotton cellulose fibres using CMC will be developed in order to functionalize fibres to obtain more hydrophilic material for development of new sanitary materials in company Tosama d.d - Production of Medical Supplies. Within the framework of the proposed research project, we intend to optimise the CMC’s modification process onto cellulose in order to achieve better materials’ absorptivity that would also be biodegradable and renewable and by possibility also posse’s bioactive properties. The researches’ aim would base on developing the prescriptions for achieving the best properties of CMC and consecutively his binding onto starting material -cellulose. Beside the prescriptions’ composition, the projects’ goal would also be optimising the treatments’ parameters needed for cellulose modification using CMC - namely temperature and chemical-treatments’ time. The influence of CMC’s average molecular mass, his purity and substitution’s degree onto finished sanitary materials’ adsorption and bioactive properties, would also be taken into projects investigations’ account. The most important projects’ goal is to lead the new technology – modification of cellulose using the CMC into the production of absorptive and bioactive sanitary materials of the company Tosama d.d - Production of Medical Supplies. Modified cellulose can be used for manufacturing of wide assortment of improved sanitary materials e.g. better adsortivity and anti-infection properties of gauzes, tampons, nursing cushion etc. The projects’ result can lead to production process of new products with a high level of added - value. Moreover, the company Tosama d.d - Production of Medical Supplies, would be able to accommodate quickly his new products according to the costumers needs and therefore also would be able to increase its market share in Europe, as well as in other parts of the world, in the field of high price and high technology products.

Each transfer of knowledge into practice is only possible by the simultaneous discovery of new scientific phenomena, and the development (optimisation) of new, quick and precise methods. The project group established new technology for cellulose fibre modification using CMC that was introduced into the Tosama d.d. Regarding this, the national patent was applied. The research articles were presented in Journals with High impact factors and on several prestige conferences. From this point of view, both partnes keep their leading position in the field of important international polymer material research. In this way they contribute to the strengthening of national identity. This project has a strategic meaning for University Maribor when spread heading and increasing knowledge about renewable processes for orientated polymers’ modifications. These represent a firm basis for improving technological processes in different industrial fields whilst consecutively, a quick adaptation of products to the customers’ needs and demands. In a practical way, this research represents the new quality for Tosama d.d. Production of Medical Supplies company. These products would therefore lead to an increase in the company’s competitive position, and a massive breakthrough of new product onto the existing market, is possible.

Using the Slovenian textile industry, which is in a phase of rejuvenation and looking for new market niches for specialized European and World Trade, the development of products with high-added value is of great importance. Within this project’s framework, together with the Tosama d.d. Production of Medical Supplies company, new, high adsorptive and anti-infection sanitary products will be developed which would make Tosama d.d. practicable for launching onto the national and international trade market using products with high-added value. This means keeping and gaining new customers and resulting in an increase in the company’s economic-business. This applicable project represents the foundation for a successful, long-lasting and fruitful cooperation between the Tosama d.d. Production of Medical Supplies company and University Maribor in the sense of forming a research-development group that is able to produce new and higher quality products by the Tosama d.d. The technology developed during this project could in this way also be applied in other industrial fields within Slovenia such as: - the paper industry, - the chemical industry and - pharmacy.