The development of foam polyurethane (FPUs) materials endowed with antibacterial capabilities holds immense significance in numerous fields. Therefore, the endeavor to enhance their antibacterial functionality assumes a position of utmost importance. In this work, two series of antibacterial modified foam polyurethanes with inherent antibacterial properties were obtained by introducing linalool and terpineol into commercial FPU systems. FPU systems were prepared by mixing poly(diphenylmethane diisocyanate), polyether polyol, foaming agent, and different amounts of linalool or terpineol. The influence of different modified monomer (linalool and terpineol) contents on the mechanical, thermal, and antibacterial properties of FPU systems were systematically investigated. Characterization techniques such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), mechanical testing, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were employed in here. These results indicated that the compressive strength of linalool-modified FPU systems decreased with increased linalool content due to its soft fatty chains. In contrast, terpineol-modified FPU systems exhibited increased compressive strength because of its rigid fatty ring. The thermal stability of FPU systems was enhanced with the addition of linalool and terpineol, attributed to the conjugated double bonds in their structures. SEM analysis revealed similar cell structures in FPU systems with different modified monomer contents, suggesting that changes in compression properties were primarily due to the introduced flexible or rigid structures of the modified monomer. Antibacterial tests following ISO 22196:2007 guidelines, using Escherichia coli as the model strain, demonstrated that the bactericidal rate of the linalool-modified FPU systems increased from 10.7% to 98.4%, and that of terpineol-modified FPU systems rose from 8.8% to 98.4% with higher monomer content. These findings indicate that modified FPU systems retain the antibacterial properties of linalool and terpineol, providing valuable insights for developing high performance antibacterial foam polyurethane.

Keywords: foam polyurethane, antibacterial, linalool, terpineol.