Keywords
Citation
Bean, J. (2000), "Anti-microbial paints", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 29 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.2000.12929daa.003
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2000, MCB UP Limited
Anti-microbial paints
Keyword Coatings
The independent British paint coating manufacturer, H. Marcel Guest of Manchester, has again shown that you do not always have to be a multi-national giant to come up with new coatings technology. This time it is with their new range of high performance anti-microbial paints, which are designed to control an array of medically-significant bacteria and fungi. "Byotrol" paints are the result of an exclusive technology sharing agreement with leading scientific laboratory, Microbac Analytical, which has developed a blend of anti-microbial agents that, benign in themselves, combine effectively to suppress harmful micro-organisms.
The need to control the colonisation of painted surfaces by pathogenic organisms has become increasingly urgent as they become resistant to modern antibiotics and existing control methods. Subjected to an extensive laboratory test programme and found to have a positive kill effect on most micro-organisms that are detrimental to human health, Byotrol paints can be safely used as an effective new control regime.
HMG has secured a technical breakthrough by applying the Byotrol formulation to all major paint types, including water-borne, wood finish, latex and solvent-based systems, as well as powder coatings. HMG was looking to formulate an anti-microbial paint, but considered traditional biocides to be unsuitable for food contact applications. Byotrol, which exhibits extremely low toxicity and provides residual active protection for extended periods, represented the technological solution and could be readily incorporated into paint. The resulting formulation demonstrated outstanding biocidal efficacy, combating harmful bacteria like staphylococcus, including the MRSA-resistive strain, streptococcus, e.coli, pseudomonas, salmonella, bacillus, legionella and listeria, in addition to such common fungi and yeast as aspergillus and candida albicans.