Gelest offers Biosafe silicon-based antimicrobial
The antimicrobial polymer is used to prevent deterioration and discolouration caused by fungi, to prevent algae growth and to inhibit the growth of odour-causing bacteria on substrates, including plastics
Gelest, a manufacturer of speciality materials for the semiconductor industry, recently acquired a silicon-based antimicrobial from Biosafe Inc after a two-year period of exclusive licensing with the Pittsburgh, PA, US-based firm.
Morrisville, PA-based Gelest is currently shepherding the Biosafe product through food contact approvals from the US FDA and EPA. It is anticipated that approvals will be received by the middle of next year.
The antimicrobial polymer is used to prevent deterioration and discolouration caused by fungi, to prevent algae growth and to inhibit the growth of odour-causing bacteria on substrates, including plastics.
'Polymers are used regularly in the food industry for equipment, prep surfaces, tubing, and storage containers,' said Donald Wagner, Technical Marketing Manager at Gelest.
Biosafe does not leach over time from the treated article
'These polymers are susceptible to microbial growth which can cause contamination issues and lead to high maintenance costs and heavy use of harsh chemicals for cleaning. The concept of antimicrobial surfaces is not new, but Biosafe technology is the first non-leaching approach with the safety and efficacy to pursue food contact approval, which we anticipate having mid-2017.'
Available as a powder, solvent or aqueous solution, Biosafe bonds with the surfaces and substrate matrices, or forms an interpenetrating network with the host material. The net result is that Biosafe does not leach over time from the treated article. The mechanism of action is physical and electrochemical. It is not a biological poisoning process like other biocides. The positive charge on condensed 3-(trihydroxysilyl) propyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium chloride (HM4100) kills by disrupting the cell membrane, which does not promote microbe mutation, adaptation or resistance.
With proper integration, Biosafe products have high antimicrobial performance in ISO and ASTM testing, Gelest said.
The active ingredient in the Biosafe antimicrobial was developed and registered with the US EPA in the mid-1970s, and has since been used in numerous applications.
Biosafe Inc has expanded the breadth of applications and manufacturing processes by removing the VOCs and making the antimicrobial available in a new polymeric powder. Unlike its predecessors, the powder can be compounded with polymer resins.
