Coating Claims Germ-Free Finish
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013
German researchers are reporting the development of a coating with the potency to kill and deflect fungal and bacterial growth for years.
The coating features both silver and copper colloids that gradually release germicidal metal ions, reports the team behind the new technology.
“The new development combines two properties, which means the presence of germs and fungi on these surfaces is zero,” Carsten Becker-Willinger, head of the Nanomers Program Division at the Leibniz-Institut für Neue Materialien, said in a release on the technology.
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| Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH |
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Scientists from Leibniz-Institut für Neue Materialien have developed an antimicrobial coating that kills bacteria. Pictured is a color-enhanced scanning electron micrograph of Salmonella typhimurium (red) invading cultured human cells. |
“The metal colloids are only a few nanometers in size, but their particular ratio of size to surface area produces a distinctive long-term effect.
“The ‘consumption’ of metals to metal ions is then so low that the coating can be effective for several years,” the chemist said.
The coating is recommended for hospitals, kitchens, sanitary facilities and other environments that require hygienic or sterile conditions.
Other Features, Testing
The coating surface is also anti-adhesive, so that neither dead nor fresh germs can adhere to it, the chemists said. As a result, the coating primarily counteracts the formation of an extensive biofilm, the team said.
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| Brookside Associates |
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Developers say the coating eliminates germs and fungi, making it useful for hospitals, kitchens and other areas that require a clean or sterile environment.   |
The researchers said they were also able to demonstrate the double microbicidal and biofilm-inhibiting action using the standardized ASTM E2180 test process. That method evaluates the effectiveness of incorporated/bound antimicrobials in hydrophobic materials such as plastics, epoxy resins, and other hard surfaces.
The new material can be applied to plastic, ceramic, metal and other substrates using conventional techniques such as spraying or dipping; the coating cures thermally or photochemically.
Selective variation of the individual components allows the developers to react to the particular and different needs of potential users.
Presentation, Future Projects
The scientists are pursuing other fields of application for copper colloids, copper ions and silver.
The coatings research is part of the EU-sponsored CuVito project.
INM, based in Saarbrücken, Germany, will present the coating technology this week at Eurofinish 2013 in Ghent, Belgium.
Tagged categories: Antibacterial coatings; Antimicrobial coatings; Coating chemistry; Coating Materials; Coatings technology; Health Care/Hospitals; Research
