Antimicrobial additives for plastics and polymers
‘Health, You are grand – though none understand how splendid you taste until you are waste…’ This has been true not only since the time of Jan Kochanowski, but also since the dawn of mankind. Health should be taken care of at all times and at every opportunity, and to prevent is definitely better and cheaper than to cure.
Unfortunately, harmful micro-organisms lurk in all sorts of nooks and crannies, multiply and wait for an opportunity to come into contact with the human body. This happens most often by touch, but also by inhalation or through oral exposure.
The fight against bacteria, fungi, viruses and other agents undesirable for our health has been going on for many years. The need to sterilise surgical instruments, instruments in dental practices, etc. is obvious. However, in many places, it is not possible to disinfect surfaces frequently enough to prevent people from coming into contact with the contaminated surface and, consequently, transmitting and propagating them. We are talking here about public places – all kinds of shops (shopping trolley handles, tapes at checkouts, self-service checkouts that are becoming more and more common, payment terminal keypads), public transport (handles and handrails, seating surfaces, validating and ticket machines, signalling buttons), ATMs, or, above all, public toilets and many other similar places.
Everyone understands the need to clean them regularly, but it is not possible to sterilise their surfaces after every single use. It is comforting to know that most people, especially in recent times affected by the stigma of the COVID-19, are aware of the need to disinfect or wash their hands thoroughly after contact with such places, which somewhat reduces the transmission of harmful micro-organisms.
Scientists have also been tempted to investigate less obvious areas for the growth of harmful bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc. For example, staphylococcus or streptococcus can often be found on a computer keyboard or TV remote control (and these items are not regularly disinfected). Scientists have also been tempted to investigate less obvious areas for the growth of harmful bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc. For example, staphylococcus or streptococcus can often be found on a computer keyboard or TV remote control (and these items are not regularly disinfected).
In the case of oral exposure, undesirable micro-organisms also have ample opportunity to grow. The formation of biological films, the so-called biofilms, on the inner surfaces of plastic pipes, which are already commonly used for the drinking water supply, can be cited as one of the very dangerous, although not widely known, problems. The micro-organisms that make up the biological membrane, as a result of their life activities, produce metabolites that, when they enter water, increase the concentration and variety of chemical substances that adversely affect water quality and, consequently, are transported to humans via the water.
A similar mechanism also takes place in plastic pipes used for the ventilation of rooms or residential houses. What they all have in common is that cleaning and disinfecting them is labour-intensive, costly and very cumbersome, not least because the system has to be shut down for sterilisation – which of course generates additional downtime costs.
Businesses and end users alike spend a great deal of money each year on combating harmful bacteria, fungi, viruses and other unwanted micro-organisms. Therefore, the possibility of using material on which their multiplication would be hindered or reduced would be highly desirable. Ingremio, whose mission is to be innovative and flexible, satisfies these needs.
Involving the help of several scientific centres, after a research project lasting one and a half years, Ingremio has created Spectra modifiers for plastics, and has developed the most effective and completely safe method for obtaining the desired self-sterilising properties of products made of plastics.
What is Spectra?
Spectra 1000 and Spectra Ag are a series of products from Ingremio that include additives for plastics based on the antibacterial and antifungal action of silver ions, copper and other ingredients. Another very important advantage is the well-known biocidal effect of silver particles against viruses, including those of the COVID-19 family. These modifiers were developed by Ingremio with a team of specialists from scientific centres and are protected by several patents.
Their effect has been confirmed by numerous studies in renowned laboratories all over the world.
They protect the surface from being colonised by micro-organisms that are undesirable and dangerous to humans. They are a response to the growing, especially recently, need to protect products from the unwanted spread of bacteria, fungi and viruses. They offer health safety, but also the possibility of real savings by eliminating the disinfection processes previously mentioned.
Why Spectra?
The Spectra range of additives provides a lifetime protection of the finished product against the multiplication of unwanted micro-organisms on them. This is achieved by modifying the material at the production stage, it will be inseparably integrated with the base material without changing its mechanical and resistance properties. At the same time, it does not require the modification of the production process and processing parameters – adding it at the mix preparation stage is cheap, fast and effective. The resulting effect is resistant to a mechanical and chemical impact on the final product.
Ingremio has been using Spectra additives in its ventilation pipes for several years, gaining experience, continuously adapting and improving its properties. It is essential to emphasise that the achievements made by Ingremio in this field are unique in the world as the company has developed a method of introducing metallic silver into the polymer that the inner layer of the ventilation pipe is composed of, and has achieved its appropriate dispersion so that it is highly effective in reducing bacteria.
The company has developed recipes and technologies for the preparation of various compositions of raw materials, and production technology for ventilation ducts of various types, i.e. applied depending on fire requirements (combustible ducts, self-extinguishing ducts), type of the main raw material (original raw materials, recycled raw materials) and diameters (50, 63, 75, 90, 110, 160, 200 mm). It should be noted that the production process of various diameters of ventilation ducts required the use of different compositions of raw materials as the ducts must be characterised by, in addition to antibacterial properties, other parameters such as: smoothness of the inner layer, geometry of the inner layer, appropriate arrangement of the inner layer when bending the pipe so as not to reduce its flow capacity, mechanical strength, impact resistance, bending radius, and others.
Today, after repeated laboratory tests, analysis of the results and corrections to the composition, Ingremio offers a product that is certainly the answer to the sought-after additive that enables self-sterilisation of the finished product regardless of its shape and the complexity of the production process.
Another very useful feature is the content of the UV marker, thanks to which it is possible – using UV light – to check the uniformity of Spectra distribution in the finished product.
Where to apply?
SPECTRA is an additive with almost unlimited applications. It is used wherever antibacterial and antifungal protection is required or desired, and allows real savings by eliminating or significantly reducing the disinfection process of the finished product. Massively increases the health safety of end users of products. Examples of application:
• products in contact with foodstuffs (food containers, refrigerator walls, shelves, etc.)
• drinking water pipes
• swimming pool industry
• products for the medical and cosmetics industry
• products for use in public areas (door handles, handrails, shopping trolley handles, etc.)
• construction industry (ventilation pipes, plenum boxes, etc.)
• automotive industry (ventilation and air conditioning components, dashboard parts, door handles, etc.)
• public transport
• home electronics, household appliances (internal walls of refrigerators, remote controls, control panels)
• sanitary products (hair-dryers, toilet seats, showers, soap dispensers, etc.)
• filaments for 3D printers
• pipes for transporting liquids (e.g. dairies, breweries, etc.) and many others
Advantages of antibacterial additives for plastics
Spectra technology will provide lasting and efficient protection against harmful bacteria, fungi and viruses. Tests prove a high efficiency of up to 99.9%!
Spectra antibacterial and antifungal additives have already been tested and proven in Ingremio products used in residential ventilation, central vacuum cleaning pipes, as well as in products used in areas exposed to microbial proliferation and where possible disinfection is cumbersome, costly or even impossible. These products are proving to be excellent – the protection they provide is a healthy, safe, hassle-free way to ensure the health and safety of adults and children. Spectra technology is trusted by people around the world.
