TECHNOLOGY | ANTIMICROBIALS
Right: Swedish fashion-tech brand Happy Plugs is using Addmaster’s Biomaster antimicrobial in its latest line of wireless headphones to prevent odour, staining and discolouration
products to durable, multi-use products.” Earlier this year, for example, global telecoms equipment maker Poly (created in 2019 from the merger of Plantronics and Polycom) announced it was using Microban technology in its latest Rove DECT IP phones to control growth of potentially product-damaging surface bacteria. According to John Lamarque, VP and General Manager of Poly’s Voice Collaboration and Professional Headset business unit, the move means its customers can “feel confident while using our devices as they get back to work in warehouses, retail centres and hospitals around the world.” Paul Morris, founder of Addmaster (UK), which
offers its Biomaster antimicrobial masterbatches and since January of this year has been a subsidiary of Sweden’s Polygiene, also says that the pandemic has taught the public the importance of hygienic surfaces and that this will have a big impact on the growth of antimicrobial use. “The educational programme on how we stop pathogens entering our bodies…has had an impact that no advertising budget [for antimicrobial plastics] could ever achieve,” he pointed out in a recent blog. As people return to ‘nearly normal’ lives, he said we will see “a massive surge in companies wanting antimicrobial products and surfaces to reassure and attract consumers to their commercial offering.” Unsurprisingly, perhaps, a common question
asked over the past year has been whether an additive is available to protect a plastic product against the SARS-CoV-2 virus (which causes Covid-19). Industry experts — including those at Addmaster — caution that companies should be careful with antiviral claims and that any claims should be backed up with data. With a number of specialised laboratories now able to handle the SARS-CoV-2 virus, some plastic products have been tested to measure the efficacy of additives in protecting the plastic surface against it. A rigid PVC wall cladding produced by BePlas in the UK
containing Biomaster antimicrobial technology was recently tested (ISO 21702:2019) and a reduction of the virus of more than 96% after 6 hours when compared to a control was obtained, according to Addmaster. The hygienic wall covering is designed for environments such as hospitals, food catering, and manufacturing facilities. Also based in the UK, BioCote supplies a range
of antimicrobial additives, including silver, zinc and organic compounds, as well as combinations such as silver/zinc and silver/copper blends. It also sees growth in use of antimicrobial additives for plastic product protection and has increased its produc- tion capacity for some of its products. The company emphasises that its technology does not protect users against disease-causing bacteria, viruses or other harmful organisms, and it is not a substitute for good hygiene and cleanliness. It does, however, reduce the presence of odour and stain causing microbes on a product surface by up to 99.99% and extends the functional lifetime of a product by protecting against material degradation. Claims about what an antimicrobial product can
do are highly regulated, explains BioCote, although those regulations vary for different countries. In the US, for example, antimicrobial active substances are categorised as pesticides and registered with
Kraton gains EPA approval for BiaXam
Kraton announced in April 2021 that it had received an emergency exemp- tion from the US EPA to use its BiaXam antimicrobial polymer for use in specific applications. It differs from most antimicrobial product offerings in that its antimicrobial properties are not due to an additive but are inherent to the polymer. The company says that, in labora-
28 COMPOUNDING WORLD | July 2021
tory conditions, the BiaXam technol- ogy can kill up to 99.999% of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and provide continued protection for up to 200 days, depending on use, exposure, and cleaning methods. Kraton says the BiaXam sulpho-
nated block copolymer can be applied as a coating and is also available as a peel-and-stick film.
The EPA exemption has allowed
Delta Air Lines to use the polymer in kiosks and counters in three US states to protect surfaces from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The company says it is seeking regulatory approvals for the technology that would allow broader use beyond the emergency exemption. �
www.kraton.com
www.compoundingworld.com
IMAGE: POLYGIENE/HAPPY PLUGS
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