A growing industry
David Tierney, global marketing director for Building Products
at Lonza, found that the global biocides market grew by 3-4
percent annually in the last two years.
“Due to the market trend towards water-based formulations
and tighter control on other raw materials there is a growing
need for effective preservation systems,” Tierney said.
“Exceptional growth” in the biocides market is not uncommon in today’s economy, and Sonia Poropat, corporate development strategist at Ultra Fresh, said that her company expects the
trend to continue.
“Consumers are becoming increasingly savvy about the posi-
tive benefits of material preservation as it relates to sustainabil-
ity,” she said. “Manufacturers and brands looking for a point
of differentiation are advertising antimicrobial properties as a
means of promoting environmental responsibility.”
Beth McDaniel, owner and chief of administration at
Reactive Surfaces, said that the biocide market segments fo-
cused on hygienic surfaces has seen a rapid growth over the
past year, in large part due to the pervasive threat of hospital-
acquired infections (HAIs). According to the Center for Disease
Control, HAIs account for more than 700,000 infections each
year, of which about 75,000 die per year. Hospital surfaces as
well as insertable medical devices, such as catheters, account for
some of the worst infection-spreading culprits. Further, there’s
the threat of superbugs resulting from antiobiotic resistance.
Thus, there is the urgent need for anti-microbial coatings in the
burgeoning health industry, McDaniel said.
“However, there has been growing concern over mounting
exposure to toxic chemicals. Major hospital systems, lead by
Kaiser Permanente, have recently banned certain antimicrobials
from hospitals and clinics, stating that their decision is based on
concerns of toxicity to patients, environmental persistence, and
in certain cases lack of efficacy.
“This trend is part of a global concern for toxicity of traditional
biocides. For instance, the biocide triclosan, the active ingredient
in the product Microban was recently deemed by the European
Union to be toxic and bio-accumulative and will be phased-out
for hygienic uses and replaced by more suitable alternatives. The
industry is in dire need of good alternatives,” she said.
In response to these concerns, McDaniel pointed out, interest
has been growing growth in bio-based, anti-microbial technologies. “Naturally-occurring, non-toxic biocides have been shown
to be broad-spectrum, effective against a variety of pathogens,
including bacteria and their spores, fungi, algae, and certain viruses. Further, these novel coating additives can work in combination with other bio-based additives to provide synergy and
multi-functionality,” she said.
Environmental and other considerations
Poropat said that there is a silver lining to European regulations,
which have limited or restricted use of certain biocides that used
to dominate select industries.
“This has opened up the market to additional players
and spawned innovative treatments using new and existing
actives,” she said. “New formulations must be environmentally
friendly while providing effective broad spectrum performance
and durability.”
Regulations are the main driver for biocide selection, said
Tierney. “As a result, the range of available active chemistry is
becoming extremely restricted. Under these circumstances com-
patibility with target formulations is a key issue to achieve long
term protection,” he said.
Formulators have an abundance of considerations when
choosing a biocide or fungicide. According to McDaniel, end-
use consumers and regulators will ultimately play a part in guid-
ing which solutions are available and in-demand.
“At present, traditional biocides that have been approved by
regulatory agencies can still be purchased and used, however,
due to growing concerns about the health and environmental
risks associated with traditional organic biocides, nanosilver, tri-
closan and quaternary silanes, there’s a definite trend reducing
their widespread usage,” she said.
As such, McDaniels believes that formulators should start
to think about non-toxic and non-eco-toxic formulations. “The
effectiveness of the anti-microbial coating, as well as its likeli-
hood of developing antibiotic resistance are important consid-
erations,” she added.
In addition to the importance of working with a biocide supplier that offers a broad selection of actives and formulations,
Poropat added, companies should consider the after sales services they will receive once they become a customer such as in-the field technical support, continued research and development,
international regulatory expertise and ongoing quality control
of finished goods to ensure product performance.
New products
Some of the latest products to become available in this market
are as follows. For more information, please contact the company directly.
Lonza: Lonza launched Proxel LS Preservative, a new MIT
free in can biocide, at this year’s American Coatings Show.
This product is an innovative blend of BIT with a pyrithione
salt, which addresses the formulators regulatory and performance criteria.
Reactive Surfaces: Reactive Surfaces has developed sŌp,
a multi-functional, enzymatic, self-cleaning additive powered
by a peptide surfactant for enhanced enzymatic activity. The
result is a microscopic layer of soap on a surface that consistently cleans the surface of grease and oils, making for a more
hygienic surface.
Ultra Fresh: Ultra-Fresh DW-56 is an aqueous dispersion
engineered for use as a highly effective, broad spectrum, antimicrobial agent. Containing a blend of two actives, Ultra-Fresh DW-56 prevents odor generation, discoloration and
product degradation caused by bacteria, fungi and algae.
Ultra-Fresh DW-56 is formulated to provide excellent antimicrobial properties in a wide range of applications including
water-based emulsions, coatings, adhesives, grout, mortar,
mastics and latex. CW
