Abstract
Antibacterial polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogels containing calcium hydroxide obtained from scallop shells were prepared by repeating freezing-thawing process. PVA hydrogels with various calcium hydroxide contents were evaluated on water retentivity, tensile strength, reswelling ability, pH of medium, and plant cultivation ability. From our results, we concluded that a PVA hydrogel containing 20 parts by weight of calcium hydroxide in 100 parts by weight of PVA would be a safe and highly practical antibacterial material. This gel was evaluated for heat resistance, antibacterial/deodorant performance and their sustainability. We confirmed that it can withstand heating up to 80°C. This gel has a sufficient antibacterial effect, because by using E. coli, we found that the bacteriostatic activity value was >6.0 and the sterilization activity value was >3.1, and thus it has sufficient antibacterial effect. In the deodorization test using acetic acid gas, it was confirmed that the gas decreasing rate after 2 hours was >95%, and thus, deodorization is also possible. Furthermore, even when immersed in deionized water for 3 months, about 60% of the calcium hydroxide remained in the PVA hydrogel.
