Silver Nanoparticle Antibacterial Textile Coating

Coating Parameters

Ag⁺ release rate k 1.00

Diffusion coefficient D 1.00

Bacterial resistance (MIC) 0.70

Live Readouts

Bacteria alive

24 / 24

Mean [Ag⁺]

0.00

Silver reservoir remaining

100%

How it works

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) grafted onto a textile fiber dissolve continuously, releasing bactericidal Ag⁺ ions. Release follows a simplified Noyes–Whitney dissolution law:

dM/dt = -k · A · f_res
C(x,z,t): ∂C/∂t = D∇²C + Σ source(x,z) − boundary loss

Released ions spread through the moisture film on the fabric by 2D Fickian diffusion, solved here on a 48×24 grid with explicit finite differences (open/absorbing edges model ions carried away from the fiber). The height and color of the field below the fiber show local [Ag⁺].

Bacteria die according to a Hill-function dose–response, the standard pharmacodynamic model for antimicrobial killing:

kill_rate(C) = k_max · C² / (C² + MIC²)

MIC is the minimum inhibitory concentration — a more resistant strain needs a higher local [Ag⁺] before the kill rate becomes significant. Where concentration stays well below MIC, surviving bacteria divide logistically and repopulate.

Release rate k — the intrinsic AgNP dissolution rate constant; higher k means faster ion release per unit reservoir remaining.
Diffusion coefficient D — set by fabric moisture; higher D spreads ions faster but also dilutes and clears them faster past the absorbing edges.
MIC slider — bacterial resistance; a higher value needs more silver to achieve the same kill rate.
Wash cycle — real antibacterial textiles lose efficacy after repeated laundering as surface-bound AgNPs are mechanically stripped; each click cuts the remaining silver reservoir by 30%.

AgNP-coated fiber Live bacteria Dying / high [Ag⁺] zone

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