The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has helped raise awareness about the importance of hygiene and health all over the world. The demand for a safe environment where surfaces do not play a possible role in transmitting a virus – whether it be in packaging, textiles, industrial or medical applications - has significantly increased.

The Switzerland-based masterbatch specialist SUKANO has developed a high-performance antiviral masterbatch designed to do exactly that.
This is especially important in the healthcare area, where disposables are increasingly sought to replace reusables, due to their increased safety and reduced risk of contamination, while still aiming to reduce the environmental impact.
Biopolymers have become more and more relevant and today play a decisive role not only in packaging applications but also in medical uses. To further support safety and hygiene, Sukano has introduced an antiviral masterbatch for PLA applications to the market. This masterbatch helps to eliminate viruses and other microorganisms from surfaces.
The company has now tested the effectiveness of the masterbatch against SARS-Cov-2 and Influenza H1N1 on PLA, among other polymers, in a specialized , certified external microbiological laboratory - and with success. The tests showed a 99% reduction of SARS-Cov-2 within 30 minutes on the PLA fabric samples and 99.9% reduction within 2 hours. For the Influenza H1N1, a reduction of 99.99% on a coex film was confirmed after 30 minutes.
“We tested against both SARS-Cov-2 and Influenza H1N1, according to ISO 18184:2019 and ISO 21702:2019,” states Michael Kirch, Global Head of R&D for Sukano. “We are delighted with the outcome of the tests and we now have confirmation on the deactivation of the viruses, giving customers additional trust and confidence while using our high performance additive masterbatch in their application.”
Sukano’s antiviral masterbatches work by directly integrating an antiviral additive into the polymer, using proprietary formulation and technology. This then functions as a robust and scientifically proven safety layer that helps prevent viral transmission through product surfaces. Additionally, it helps the environment by reducing waste and energy, saving natural resources.
The antiviral masterbatch is extremely efficient, and this powerful technology remains present and effective throughout the life of the product. The additive is consistently active on the surface of the product, without being released into the environment.
The active ingredient used in Sukano’s Antiviral Masterbatches is a registered preservative in the EU, Switzerland and USA. However, to claim antiviral effect and promote this in the final product, producers using Sukano’s Antiviral Masterbatches must test the final product, have the results confirmed by a specialized external laboratory, and must comply with local legal regulations.

www.sukano.com


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