Antimicrobial Paint Used in Case Study

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2022


In an emailed press release, global coatings manufacturer PPG recently shared that its antimicrobial paint containing Corning Guardiant technology was used to protect the largest school system in south Texas.

Copper Armor has been proven to kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses on the painted surface, including SARS-CoV-2, in two hours.

About Copper Armor

In November 2020, materials science company Corning Incorporated announced that under test methods approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, paints and coatings with the company’s glass-ceramic technology had shown to kill more than 99.9% of SARS-CoV-2.

According to the company, the tests provided the first demonstration of highly durable antimicrobial activity against SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, the antimicrobial efficacy remained active even after tests simulating six years of scrubbing. (The tests were designed to account for the cleaning that a surface could be subjected to over time.)

Corning Guardiant contains copper, which has reportedly been shown to exhibit antimicrobial efficacy when applied to surfaces, consistently reducing germs on contact.

monkeybusinessimages / Getty Images
In an emailed press release, global coatings manufacturer PPG recently shared that its antimicrobial paint containing Corning Guardiant technology was used to protect the largest school system in south Texas
monkeybusinessimages / Getty Images

In an emailed press release, global coatings manufacturer PPG recently shared that its antimicrobial paint containing Corning Guardiant technology was used to protect the largest school system in south Texas

At the time, Corning also announced that it was working with PPG, among other paint and coatings manufacturers around the world, to develop products containing Corning Guardiant that meet governmental and regulatory requirements. It was specifically working with PPG to seek EPA registration for the paint formulated with the Corning Guardiant technology.

According to Corning, the results of the SARS-CoV-2 testing on coatings containing Corning Guardiant were recently obtained by Luisa Ikner in Professor Charles Gerba’s lab at the University of Arizona. Following U.S. EPA recommendations that test methods mimic in-use conditions for antimicrobial surface materials seeking claims against harmful germs, the lab “used stringent test methods that simulated realistic contamination, which is dry and invisible,” the company noted.

In addition to the SARS-CoV-2 results, Corning also published research on Corning Guardiant demonstrating the killing of other bacteria and viruses with greater than 99.9% efficacy in under two hours, including gram positive bacteria (such as Staphylococcus aureus), gram negative bacteria (such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and non-enveloped viruses (such as murine norovirus).

By the following year, in October, PPG announced that it had received EPA registration for its PPG Copper Armor antimicrobial paint.

Upon receiving registration from the EPA, PPG reported that it would begin selling the zero-volatile organic compound paint in late 2021 through U.S. PPG Paints stores, independent retailers and select home improvement stores.

The coating is intended for high-traffic areas such as health care, hospitality, office and educational environments, as well as residential applications. The coatings technology, capable of killing viruses and bacteria within two hours of contact, can provide this type of consistent protection on the painted surface for up to five years, providing a safeguard against harmful microbes on walls, trim and doors.

PPG Copper Armor also provides a mold- and mildew-resistant coating on the dry paint film.

“We started development on Corning Guardiant several years ago with the belief that copper is the key to delivering a truly effective antimicrobial coating,” said Joydeep Lahiri, Division Vice President and Program Director, Specialty Surfaces, Corning Incorporated. “We’re excited about our partnership with PPG as well as its latest product offering—Copper Armor—which helps make antimicrobial surface technology more readily available to the public.”

At the time of the announcement, the company said that the PPG Copper Armor coating would be available in eggshell, satin and semi-gloss, and that it could also be tinted to more than 600 colors from the PPG paint palette collection.

School District Case Study

In a press release issued late last month, PPG shared that it had applied its Copper Armor coating to schools operating under the Northside Independent School District (NISD) in south Texas.

Touted as the largest school system in the area, NISD faculty and staff are responsible for nearly 102,000 students across 125 schools. As a result of COVID-19, like many school districts across the country, the district experienced significant absenteeism throughout the pandemic.

In early 2022, NISD reported that nearly 20% of students and 15% of staff were out due to the coronavirus, which in turn severely impacted teachers’ ability to teach and students’ ability to learn. As a result of the absences, the district’s commitments to student and faculty safety were amplified, bringing officials to decide on a renovation plan that would involve coating the schools in bacteria- and virus- fighting paints.

According to the release, NISD launched the initial phase of this antibacterial and antiviral renovation project during the summer of 2022. The project involved updating 10 nursing suites and multiple hallways with PPG Copper Armor antiviral and antibacterial interior coatings.

The renovation also remedied water damage that had occurred over time.

“This is a great paint and primer product that kills bacteria for five years,” said Avelardo Garcia, NISD Paint Shop Manager. “It’s an innovative solution for projects like ours that require multiple levels of protection against viruses, germs, mold and mildew.”

Modern Safety Techniques
Just Like New Overspray Management

PPG has shared since the project’s completion that its health- and eco-friendly Copper Armor will protect NISD students, faculty and staff against viruses and bacteria without having to repaint the surfaces for several years. 

Tagged categories: Antibacterial coatings; Anti-microbial; Antimicrobial coatings; Coating Materials - Commercial; Coatings Technology; Completed projects; COVID-19; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); EPA; EPA; Health & Safety; Health and safety; PPG; Product demonstrations; Renovation; Safety


Comments