Some Investigation into the Susceptibility and Resistance to Industrial Biocides of Fungi Important in Textile and Polyurethane Biodeterioration

Abstract

A description is given of cotton textiles and polyurethanes as materials, and the problems associated with the biodeterioration of these materials and its prevention are discussed from both biological and economic aspects. The necessity for biocidal protection of these materials is emphasised, and a family of new organic industrial biocides is described, with particular reference to the protection of cotton cellulose under conditions of elevated temperature, and the new synthetic polyurethane materials, especially in situations wherethese two types of material may be in close association. An ecological approach has been made to the investigation into the efficacy of the new biocides. Isolation of thermophilic fungi associated with the colonisation of cotton cellulose was carried out using meadowland topsoil as a source of microbial infection. This work was extended to the colonisation of biocidally protected cellulosic substrates using the new industrial biocides, and tensile strength measurement was employed to assess the degree of biodeterioration. Some physical and chemical properties of the new biocides which might affect their biological activity were also investigated. Similar ecological work was carried out using polyester based polyurethane film before and after hydrolysis, and the biological susceptibility exhibited was investigated further using respirometric methods. These studies clearly demonstrated this polyurethane material to be utilised directly by colonising fungi. The effect of the new family of biocides in preventing such attack of polyurethanes was investigated using a similar respiromatric technique, and it was demonstrated that these biocides were successful in reducing and preventing such fungal attack. Rapid assay techniques were also sought in order to correlate biological activity and/or hydrolysis with the physical or chemical properties of the polyurethane.