Patented polymer technology has yielded an altogether new type of antimicrobial that provides permanent protection at much less cost than conventional silver-based additives while eliminating common problems like discoloration, opacity, and concerns about heavy metals, it was announced by BIOSAFE, Inc.

      Under an agreement with BIOSAFE, compounder RTP Co. of Winona, Minn. will supply the antibacterial in masterbatch form worldwide.

      Trade named BIOSAFE, the new antimicrobial protects plastics from staining and degradation caused by bacteria, mold, mildew, and fungi and does not compromise end-product safety by migrating out of the plastic or being rubbed off the surface, according to the company. The BIOSAFE additive does not compromise optical properties when used with high-clarity resins.

      The typical loading of BIOSAFE additive required to effectively treat a given quantity of plastic is between 0.2 and 0.5 percent (the percentage representing antimicrobial alone, not masterbatch). This translates into an additive cost that is at least 33 percent less than widely used conventional antimicrobials based on silver ion chemistry, which are usually incorporated at 1 percent levels, according to Donald J. Wagner II, BIOSAFE vice president for business development.

      “BIOSAFE technology provides an environmentally sustainable means of prolonging the useful life of consumer and industrial products and addresses the growing demand among the healthcare community for hygienic cleanliness in medical products for hospitals and doctors’ offices,” said Wagner. “As a nontoxic polymer that renders plastic surfaces permanently antimicrobial, BIOSAFE eliminates the safety issues of leaching antimicrobials and does so while actually reducing the cost of effective end-product protection.”

            BIOSAFE takes between one and four hours to achieve effective microbial reductions on plastic surfaces, noted Wagner. “This is considerably faster than the industry standard of a 24 hour test...

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