Coronavirus – How to protect your products with our antiviral PB-Protect Range.

If you had the choice between two similar products: one with antiviral protection and one without, which would you choose?

I think I can guess your answer.

The Covid-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed life as we know it. People across the globe are living differently, buying differently, and thinking differently, and consumer behaviour trends are expected to permanently shift to a far greater focus on health and well-being. The virus has been longer-lasting and more resistant to preventative measures than previously imagined and so it’s important that we all work together to protect our society as a whole. This includes businesses finding ways to meet the change in consumer demand and innovate their products to provide a much higher level of protection against the virus.

The emergence of the SARS CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, has brought to the forefront another beneficial aspect of plastics — antimicrobial and antiviral additives that can help protect us. This means that with the use of antiviral additives, any plastic product can be formulated with antiviral properties which are effective against Coronavirus.

Our PB-Protect Range

At PolyBlend, we wanted to offer this form of protection to all of our customers, which is why we’ve recently developed our specialist PB-Protect range. This means that any of our plastisol products can be formulated with both antimicrobial and antiviral protection which is effective for the lifetime of the product. Our range includes PB-Protect Plastisol, an antimicrobial PVC or Acrylic coating which offers an innovative solution to make surfaces more hygienic and is proven effective at reducing the presence of SARS-CoV-2 on the surface of PVC and Acrylic articles.

Our PB Protect antiviral plastisol has been tested to ISO 21702:2019 by an independent test house demonstrating a reduction in SARS-CoV-2 on the surface of >94% after 24 hours when compared to a control. In independent laboratory tests, PolyBlend’s PB-Protect Antimicrobial Plastisol has also shown to offer a reduction in bacterial growth when tested to ISO 22196.

Biomaster antimicrobial technology – How does it work?

Biomaster antimicrobial technology is incorporated into the PVC plastisol at the time of manufacture. Our innovative mixing method ensures that the PVC coating offers product protection for the intended lifetime of the end-product. When bacteria or viruses come into contact with the protected surface, the Biomaster additives work to eliminate their presence and significantly reduce the risk of cross-contamination. This proven process gives antimicrobial and antiviral product protection to our customers and their end-user or consumers.

Biomaster uses 3 ways to prevent bacteria from growing on surfaces and provides durable protection, unlike disinfectants which are only effective for up to two hours:

1. Biomaster disrupts the bacteria cell from growing as it binds to the cell wall.
2. The Biomaster ions stop the bacteria cell from producing energy.
3. The cell’s DNA is interrupted by Biomaster’s active silver technology which prevents any replication.

Why should you consider it?

Prioritising innovation today is the key to unlocking post-crisis growth. Competitive advantages have shifted dynamically with a far greater focus on offering products that encourage positive hygiene – and antiviral products do exactly that. Incorporating these types of products into your offering not only enables you to extend your product range, but it also provides the opportunity to significantly add value to your current products. As well as helping you to gain a competitive advantage, a hygiene-innovation strategy vastly increases brand loyalty – showing a high level of customer care at a time where hygiene is paramount.

Get in touch!

Please do reach out to me if you would like to discuss how we could help you innovate your plastic products in this way. Alternatively, you can request a brochure from us for more information about the products and services we offer at PolyBlend UK.

To find out more about antiviral & antimicrobial plastisol see how using antiviral products can help your business grow here and how antiviral plastics can contribute towards sustainability.

Report published by Mark Stewart

FAQs

• Can antiviral products be made from recycled material? 
  1. If products are made antiviral initially, they are recycled less as they are discarded less.
  2. Yes, if compatible.
• Which products would last longer with antiviral coatings/properties? 
  Generally, all coatings produced. Antiviral plastics require less cleaning which is both an energy intensive process and one which is damaging to the environment through the use of toxic cleaning chemicals such as bleach.
• How resistant to chemicals are antiviral coatings? 
  1) We specify and formulate the coating to the environment used. We produce a polymer solution that will be robust and the Antiviral aspects will increase the durability.
  2) Antiviral products last longer because they are far more durable and can be reused over and over. This means less consumption, less waste, and less transportation!
• What industries would save money using antiviral products?
  Antiviral plastisol markets include: Medical applications, Flooring, Scrim coating, Coated Fabrics, Rotational Moulding, dip moulding, Automotive filters, Caps & closures (food hygiene) Glove & Sock coating, wall coverings. We also provide a specialist acrylic flooring client for a flooring with a high level of fire retardancy.
  
• What is the best antiviral surface for killing Covid-19? 
  That is not for us to advise on. Each surface will have their own cleaning regimes for that environment i.e. bleach, disinfectant, antiviral & antimicrobial sprays etc.
• Which surfaces are at the greatest risk of Covid-19 transmission?
  Dependent on environment, traffic and article uses. But, as we have discovered through this pandemic, most surfaces! So if the surface causes viral DNA disruption and prevents replication, then the opportunity for human interaction with the virus is greatly diminished and high level of transmission is removed.
• Can antiviral surfaces protect against airborne viruses? 
  Yes, the disruptor technology is active on the article or coating surface.
• What Can You Protect With Biomaster?
  Biomaster technology can be added to just about any product to provide antimicrobial & antiviral protection where keeping a high level of hygiene or touch point control is critical.As Biomaster is so versatile you can find it protecting anything from medical equipment used in hospitals to stop antibiotic resistant bacteria growing to high performance sportswear helping to reduce odour build up to medical cannulas.