In today’s society, hygiene and health issues are of great concern. Especially in an environment where the spread of disease is increasing, there is an urgent need for new materials that can effectively resist microbial attack. Antimicrobial plastics have emerged as an important tool to address this challenge. Today, we will delve into the secrets of antimicrobial plastics to understand how they work, their advantages, and their safety.
What is antimicrobial plastic?
Antimicrobial plastics are specially treated plastics covered or infused with materials that inhibit the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses. Compared to ordinary plastics, antimicrobial plastics are effective in reducing the colonization of microorganisms on their surfaces, thereby reducing the risk of cross-infection.
How do antimicrobial plastics work?
Antimicrobial plastics have antimicrobial agents added inside that work to inhibit the growth of microorganisms by disrupting their cellular structure or inhibiting their metabolic activity. Once microorganisms come into contact with the surface of the antimicrobial plastic, these antimicrobial agents work immediately to stop microbial reproduction and keep the surface clean.
What are the benefits of antimicrobial plastics?
The application of antimicrobial plastics brings a number of benefits:
Improved hygiene: antimicrobial plastics can effectively reduce the survival of bacteria and viruses on the surface, thus reducing the risk of cross-infection and safeguarding the health and safety of users.
Prolonged service life: antimicrobial plastics can effectively prevent microbial erosion and degradation, thus prolonging the service life of the product and saving resources.
Reduce odor: Microbial reproduction is often accompanied by the production of odors, and antimicrobial plastics can effectively reduce these odors and keep the air clean.
Environmentally sustainable: antimicrobial plastics can effectively reduce the erosion of microorganisms on the product, reducing the frequency of product replacement, thus reducing the generation of plastic waste, in line with the concept of environmental protection.
Is antimicrobial plastic safe?
There are concerns about the safety of antimicrobial plastics. Generally speaking, compliant antimicrobial plastics are safe for human beings, but care needs to be taken to avoid excessive contact and accidental ingestion. In addition, the production of antimicrobial plastics should comply with relevant safety standards and regulations to safeguard the health and safety of users.
AntibacMax antimicrobial agent has passed the safety tests of SGS and other authoritative organizations, which is harmless to human beings, and has also passed the precipitation test for relevant food contact.
What are the antimicrobial agents for plastics?
Common antimicrobial agents can be categorized according to inorganic and organic. Inorganic antimicrobial agent examples are silver, zinc and copper ions. Organic antimicrobial agents examples are quaternary ammonium compounds and triclosan. Inorganic antimicrobials usually have strong antimicrobial effects and durability, but are more costly, while organic antimicrobials find a balance between antimicrobial effects and safety and are widely used in personal care products and cleaning and disinfecting agents.
In plastics, organic antimicrobials often decompose because they cannot withstand the high temperatures of processing, resulting in poorer antimicrobial effects in the final application. Therefore, inorganic antimicrobial agents such as silver ion, copper ion, zinc ion agent are more suitable for application in plastics.
How to add antimicrobial agents to plastics?
There are several ways to add antimicrobials to plastics, including:
Extrusion: In the process of extruding plastics, the antimicrobial agent is mixed with the plastic raw material and then molded through the extruder.
Injection molding: During the plastic injection molding process, the antimicrobial agent is mixed with the plastic raw material and then injected into the mold.
Surface coating method: The antimicrobial agent is made into a coating and then coated on the surface of the molded plastic product.
Through the above methods, the antimicrobial agent can be effectively added to the plastic, giving the plastic antibacterial function.
Conclusion
Antimicrobial plastic is a new material with broad prospects, which provides an important guarantee for us to create a safer and cleaner living environment. In the future, with the continuous progress of science and technology and people’s attention to health and safety, antimicrobial plastics will certainly usher in a wider range of applications and development.
