Sukano's Masterbatches Show Antiviral Efficacy Against Feline Coronavirus

 Sukano has developed Antiviral Masterbatches for PET and PA fibers that have a strong antiviral effect on the plastic parts, while also potentially helping to reduce waste and improve the sustainability credentials of the final articles produced.

Antiviral Effect Maintained Even After Washing

Sukano’s Antiviral Masterbatches work by directly integrating an antiviral additive into the polymer, using proprietary technologies. The power of this technology is that the antiviral effect not only remains stable during the usage of the product, but that it is maintained after washing. This is because the additive is consistently present on the surface of the product, without being released into the environment.

Sukano conducted tests at an external laboratory specialized in microbiological testing and in accordance with ISO 18184:2019 (fabrics) and ISO 21702:2019 (plastics inject molded parts and films) to independently confirm the effectiveness of its antiviral effect on the plastic parts. The result showed that over 98 % of the Feline Coronavirus was eliminated within the first two hours. The tests were performed using the Influenza H1N1 virus and a Feline Coronavirus, which has structures and mechanisms similar to SARS-Cov-2.

SUKANO® Antiviral Masterbatches offer the highest performance and durability: the antiviral efficacy of the fibers remains after multiple washing cycles at 40° C. All this is possible without impacting the fibers’ physical properties or yellowing.

Application in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Reusable non-medical masks are typically made from fibers without antiviral properties. Manufacturing textile masks using fabrics that include SUKANO® Antiviral Masterbatch could help reduce viral contamination via surfaces, even if the mask is not washed after each usage.

The SUKANO® Antiviral Masterbatch is already included when spinning the fiber, which eliminates additional finishing steps like external coating. This helps the environment by reducing waste and energy, saving natural resources.

“Our SUKANO® Antiviral Masterbatch is already in use by our existing customers who have successfully and effectively produced face masks during the pandemic outbreak. We now have additional, external lab results to back up our claims regarding its antiviral effect,” said Alessandra Funcia, head of marketing and sales, Sukano.

Extending Viral Protection Beyond PPE

SUKANO® Antiviral Masterbatches for PET and PA applications have externally proven their efficacy against viruses at different dosage levels, polymers and conversion processes, all of which can impact potential antiviral protection performance.

“Beyond the textile and fiber applications, our external lab results confirm the efficacy of our technology used in our PET and PA based masterbatches when applied in film extrusion processes and injection molded parts,” states Michael Kirch, global head of R&D for Sukano.

Source: Sukano