Melt processable insect repellent infused polymer formulations for textile applications

Biting arthropods are a primary vector in the transport and introduction to numerous severe diseases, where current defenses include topical application of insect repellents and textile treatment of insecticides. We present an alternative strategy to improve the insect repellency of textile fibers by incorporating functional components into the polymer composition at the time of filament production to enable facile and long-lasting functional textiles. We employ the use of plasticizers to inhibit the crystallization of nylon matrix materials (e.g., nylon-11, -12) and demonstrate the role of plasticizer composition and concentration on the compounding of EPA-registered insect repellents into polymer filaments. Filament diameter and tensile strength as a function of drawing conditions are presented. Retention and release kinetics of insect repellents are determined through thermal analyses. Finally, we present repellent efficacy of a knit swatch against a live mosquito bioassay and discuss the role of composition on performance.