Factor causing changes in the mechanical properties of polymer bases of knitted bandages

Knitted wound dressings based on synthetic polymers (primarily lavsan) have some advantages over dressings based on natural materials (cotton, etc.) – first of all, they cause less irritation of wound surfaces due to the absence of microvilli. However, during storage one can see changes in the properties of lavsan dressings, i. e. the material becomes more rigid. Under the present work, it has been shown that these changes are caused by the significantly increased crystallinity of lavsan fibers during exposure to natural environment. To reduce lavsan crystallinity, it is recommended to process the material with mixtures of polyethylene glycols which are popular ointment bases. Heat enhances the effect and returns the original degree of softness to knitted lavsan dressing materials.