Durability of Zirconium-Based Antimicrobial Treatments on Cotton

The durability of zirconium-based antimicrobial treatments on cotton to water leach ing has been studied at various curing conditions. Both basic zirconyl acetate and zirconia deposited on cotton fabric from zirconyl acetate and zirconium ammonium car bonate water solutions, respectively, completely resist water leaching under the conditions of applications studied and the test conditions used. Combinations of copper borate with these zirconium compounds also resisted water leaching completely. l'henyl mercuric acetate and propionate in combination with zirconyl acetate were essentially completely resistant to water leaching at optimum curing conditions. Phenyl mercuric lactate in combination with zirconyl acetate apparently loses both mercury and zirconium on water' leaching regardless of curing conditions used. These phenylmercurials in combination with zircomum ammonium carbonate resisted water leaching better than with zirconyl acetate over a wider range of curing conditions, but losses of mercury and zirconium were still evident with phenyl mercuric lactate, The mercury loss from water leaching of these zirconium based fungicides is much less than the mercury loss from triethanol ammonium complexes of phenyl mercuric acetate and phenyl mercuric lactate deposited on the cotton fabric under similar curing conditions. Curing conditions for maximum durability of these zirconium-based antimierobial agents are suggested.