in the present disclosure , silver ions , copper ions , quaternary ammonium compounds and cationic drugs such as sulphanilamide , chlorhexidine acetate , etc ., used as antibacterial agents are incorporated into fibers , filaments and films through nanoclays . the nanoclays serve as a carrier for the antimicrobial agents and are incorporated into the fiber - forming polymer . in one embodiment , the biocidal metals and organic compounds are incorporated into the clay structure via an ion exchange reaction . nylon nanocomposite filaments and films based on copper and quaternary ammonium ion modified clays provide 100 % antibacterial activity against gram positive staphylococcus aureus and gram negative escherichia coli bacteria at an optimum clay loading of 0 . 75 % , and the activity is retained up to 50 washes . the resulting filaments show enhanced mechanical properties such as tensile strength and modulus , and find application in areas of medical textiles like sutures , wound dressings and health & amp ; hygiene textiles . in addition , they can be integrated into protective clothing , body garments , sportswear and upholstery .