6 Dec 2004
New plastics compound breaks the transmission path of diseases
A wide range of durable products for use in public institutions and the home can now be made in a Polygiene™ a high-quality plastic compound proven to kill the SARS corona virus as well as a wide range of bacteria, yeasts and molds. Polygiene is also effective against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, or MRSA. Better known as the ‘superbug,’ MRSA has claimed numerous victims in hospitals in Europe and North America.
Polygiene was developed by the Swedish company Perstorp AB, which has a long history of supplying high-performance compounds for moulding electrical and sanitary products, among others. Polygiene releases silver ions that attach themselves to the bacteria or virus, incapacitating them and preventing them from growing or reproducing. Unlike some other antibacterial agents, it is inorganic, and does not lead to allergic skin reactions. Products made in Polygiene also differ from other antibacterial products in that the active ingredient is distributed uniformly throughout the designed part, and not just on the surface. This means that, as opposed to a coating, it cannot wear off, and surface damage has no effect. Nor does the efficacy of Polygiene deteriorate over time.
Highly effective against SARS
Tests carried out in 2003 by China's Military Academy of Science, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, have shown that Polygiene can completely kill the extremely resistant SARS corona virus on the surface of a moulded device inside eight hours. Currently no other products have demonstrated this level of suppression when exposed to SARS. The doses of SARS used in the tests were also much higher than would be normally found in real-life situations.
MRSA a growing threat
MRSA has put the spotlight on hygiene in hospitals and other public facilities because of its ability to resist even the latest antibiotics. The bacteria stops wounds from healing and can cause complications such as pneumonia and even blood poisoning. MRSA first appeared in the 1960s, but according to one recent newspaper report in the U.K., has reached ‘epidemic’ levels there in recent years, with infection rates estimated by some to be 14 times what they were a decade ago.
Wiping it away using even the most thorough cleaning procedures is extremely difficult. But it is killed off within hours of contact with products molded in Polygiene. Results of trials carried out at Milan University’s Institute of Microbiology published earlier this year showed that cultures containing MRSA placed on plaques of Polygiene were killed off inside 24 hours, while cultures on sterile control plates continued to thrive. Other bacteria known to be eliminated by Polygiene also include: Escheria Coli, Salmonella Typhi, Enterococcus Faecalis, Klebsiella Pneumoniae, Proteus Vulgaris, Pseudomonas Aeruginasa, and Streptococcus Pyogenes as well as the yeast Candida Albicans.
Wide range of applications
Perstorp believes the breakthrough technology represents a major development in the global fight against infection and disease. Lennart Holm, president and CEO of Perstorp says it will enable architects, construction companies, and building managers responsible for offices, hospitals and clinics, restaurants, airports and other public buildings to design and build functional hygienic performance into these establishments.
Application areas for the new Polygiene compounds include light switches and switch plates; sanitary ware such as toilet seats; as well as items like door handles, hand rails, baby changing tables, lift buttons, and public phones; and other high contact products used in public facilities where diseases can easily be transmitted from one person to another. Polygiene can clearly help reduce the risk of spreading disease by breaking the transmission path.
The Perstorp range of amino compounds incorporating Polygiene technology can be injection or compression molded on conventional equipment. They are commercially available worldwide and are offered in a wide range of colours. Amino compounds are
Reader enquiries
Perstorp
Perstorp Holding AB
Neptunigatan 1
SE-211 20 Malmö
Sweden
Notes for editors
Perstorp AB
Perstorp AB, Sweden, is a leading specialty chemicals and performance materials company, primarily serving customers in the paint, plastic processing, automotive, and building and construction industries. The company has manufacturing facilities in eight countries in Europe, North America, and Asia, and 2,100 employees worldwide. Company sales in 2003 totalled
USD 800 million.
Perstorp has been actively involved in engineering materials for more than 80 years. Company scientists constantly strive to develop newer and better generations of these technologies to deliver higher levels of productivity, quality consistency, application development versatility, and environmental safety. Perstorp’s worldwide manufacturing and sales coverage is backed by exceptional experience and expertise to provide customers with the most reliable and highest quality products and services available.
Editorial enquiries
Christine Chen Liping
Perstorp
christine.chenliping@perstorp.com
成俊杰-Jacky Cheng
EMG China
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