A Novel Composite of Hemp Fiber and Alginate Hydrogel for Wound Dressings

An alginate hydrogel hemp nonwoven composite was produced for wound dressings. Hemp is eco-friendly material having good anti-inflammation characteristics whereas alginate hydrogel is one the most suitable materials for wound healing. The sol-gel technique was used to develop hemp/alginate hydrogel composite. Hemp nonwoven was produced by needle-punching method. Then, nonwoven was placed in alginate solution and cross-linked with CaCl2. Finally, alginate gel/hemp nonwoven was dried at 30 (0) C for 24 h to achieve a composite. Moreover, three different alginate concentration (0.75%, 1.25% and 1.5%) and three different GSM (g/m(2)) of nonwovens were used to check the effects of these two parameters on the prepared composite properties. The performance of composite was evaluated through morphological (SEM), chemical structure (FTIR), mechanical (tensile strength, elongation), comfort (AP, MMT), wound exudate and anti-bacterial characteristics. The statistical analysis showed that performance of developed composite was affected by the concentration of alginate rather than nonwoven GSM (g/m(2)).