Page 43 - CFCM Jan-Feb-2021_Neat

PAINT AND COATINGS MANUFACTURING: ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIVIRAL COATINGS

BRINGING LIFE TO SURFACE

COATING INNOVATIONS TO

KILL UNWANTED BUGS

n a short amount of time, the COVID-19 pandemic has It’s a billion-dollar industry, with North America being
changed life as we know it. The way we live, work, shop, travel, the largest regional market for antimicrobial coating products
Iplay, and more will never be quite the same. We’ve seen empty at 35 percent of the market, according to a report by Grand
shelves for hand sanitizers and disinfecting wipes, as well as ra- View Research.
tioning. These products are no longer just for germaphobes; they’re In our May/June 2020 issue, we reported on Guelph, ON-based
wanted by a majority. There is so much demand, stores cannot keep EnvisionSQ which had developed a self-sterilizing nano-coating
stock and many companies have stepped up to shift manufacturing called NanoCleanSQ, with the University of Guelph. The product
to increase product availability. has since been renamed GermStopSQ.
Scientists have warned that coronavirus transfers both through It uses nanotechnology to bond to any material. The coating can
the air and via surfaces, though there has been some debate about be applied onto hard surfaces like handrails and hospital equip-
which surfaces and how long it survives. Nonetheless, a surface ment or soft surfaces like fabric seats.
phobia – of doorknobs, handrails, playground equipment, and other It can also be used on high-touch surfaces such as plastic chairs
objects like shopping carts – has created demand for industrial- and doorknobs to reduce the spread of COVID-19, says University
type cleaning products and built-in virus killers alike. of Guelph engineering professor Bill Van Heyst, who helped de-
Antimicrobial coatings are in the spotlight. However, surfaces velop the technology.
treated with these coatings are not necessarily antiviral and “There is tremendous opportunity for the application of
effective against the COVID-19 virus, says Lux Research. Antimi- NanoCleanSQ in hospitals, long-term care facilities, day cares,
crobial coatings inhibit microorganisms, while antiviral coatings public transit and other public spaces where transmission of
are agents that kill viruses or suppress their ability to multiply SARS-CoV-2 has been more prominent. It will have a direct
and spread. impact on helping protect front-line workers and expedite the
“Metallic antimicrobial agents like silver and copper have been return to normalcy.”
shown to be effective against both bacteria and viruses, as they In most settings, one application is all that is needed, EnvisionSQ
release ions that damage cell membranes, inactivate proteins, and says. “Our semi-permanent coating can withstand exposure to
degrade DNA, resulting in the cell’s death,” Lux says. “Other moisture and will continue working whether the surface is wet or
solutions like photocatalytic coatings have also been shown to be dry. Indoors, it will continue standing guard against pathogens week
effective against bacteria and viruses.” after week and month after month unless it is intentionally removed
WWW.CFCM.CA CANADIAN FINISHING & COATINGS MANUFACTURING 43