Patent ID: 8545862

Claim:
A method of preparing an antimicrobial article which comprises the steps of a. providing a treatment liquid consisting essentially of a stable aqueous solution, colloid, suspension, dispersion, coacervate, or emulsion of a polyelectrolyte complex, PEC, prepared by mixing an aqueous solution of an anionic polyelectrolyte consisting essentially of a derivative or copolymer of poly(acrylic acid) or polystyrene sulfonate producing a concentration of 0.025 to 0.20 weight percent in said treatment liquid, with a stoichiometric excess of an aqueous solution of an antimicrobial cationic polyelectrolyte consisting essentially of a quaternary ammonium polymer or a quaternary ammonium copolymer producing a concentration of 0.10 to 0.50 weight percent in said treatment liquid, wherein the molar ratio of charge sites in said antimicrobial cationic polyelectrolyte relative to charge sites in said anionic polyelectrolyte is between 1:1 and 2:1, and wherein said anionic polyelectrolyte and said antimicrobial cationic polyelectrolyte have been mixed in a controlled manner to produce said PEC which remains evenly dispersed in said treatment liquid, and wherein there is no significant or non-reversible phase separation, coagulation, or formation of solids, precipitates, flocs, agglomerates, or particles of said PEC during the normal storage or usage of the treatment liquid, b. applying said treatment liquid to an article, followed by, c. drying the treated article, whereby PEC is non-leachably bound to the resulting antimicrobial article.