What is antibacterial technology?

What are the benefits of incorporating an antimicrobial additive into a product or surface?

Antimicrobial additives enhance the performance of a surface by imbuing it with lasting antibacterial, anti-fungal and antiviral properties. This enables manufacturers to offer products that are cleaner and more hygienic to use, giving them an instant competitive advantage.

What’s the difference between antimicrobial and antibacterial?

Antimicrobial Technology is effective against a wide spectrum of microbes: this includes bacteria, mould, fungi and even viruses. Antibacterial Technology, on the other hand, is only effective against bacteria.

BioCote® Antimicrobial Technology can be manufactured into a wide range of materials, including plastics, polymers, paints, coatings, textiles, ceramics and paper. Take a look at our treatable materials page to find out more.

How many types of antimicrobial additive technologies are there?

Antimicrobial additives supplied by BioCote® commonly utilise one of three key actives: silver ion, zinc or copper. Silver is the most widely used antibacterial technology in the world largely due to its historic success as an antimicrobial, its broad spectrum performance and its suitability for deployment in a broad range of materials and applications. BioCote® also offers a range of organic technologies that encompasses phenolic biocides, quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC or QUAT) and fungicides.

Silver Ion Antimicrobial Additives: suitable for deployment in a broad range of materials and applications, including paints, coatings, textiles, polymers and other material types.

Zinc Antimicrobial Additives: a well-known antibacterial and antifungal compound.

Copper Antimicrobial Additives: can provide antimicrobial protection in preservative and hygienic applications, with substrates such as paints, coatings and polymers being most suitable.

Organic Antimicrobial Additives: including phenolic biocides, quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC or QUAT) and fungicides (Thiabendazole)

We formulate each antimicrobial additive to suit the specific requirements of a product innovator, manufacturer or end user and we are constantly working to develop new formulations that cater for the ever-growing demand for trusted antimicrobial technology.

Are All Antimicrobial Products The Same?

There are many different kinds of antimicrobials, each with a specific function. Some examples of ‘an antimicrobial’ include antibiotics that you take while you’re ill or an antibacterial soap you wash your hands with. Whilst these antimicrobials may perform a similar function, they are all very different to the technologies BioCote® supply. If you were to add a penicillin to plastics when moulding a water bottle, it is unlikely to deliver any kind of hygienic protection.

BioCote® additives are formulated to be introduced to materials, such as plastic or coatings, during the manufacture to give that material ‘built-in’ antimicrobial properties. The protection is permanent and will certainly last the expected functional lifetime of the product – it may even extend it.

Does Antimicrobial Technology Create Resistant Strains of Bacteria?

No, BioCote® technology does not cause antibacterial resistance. Extensive testing has shown that BioCote® remains effective against a growing list of multi-drug resistant bacteria. Our technology undergoes rigorous approval processes, which helps limit resistance by reducing the number of microbes that can survive contact with the treated surfaces.