Antimicrobial resins have been developed to meet the needs of hospitals and medical device manufacturers that want to reduce infection rates. Acquiring a bacterial infection in a hospital, or during a surgical procedure, can be deadly and also drives up health-care costs. Infections can be reduced or sometimes eliminated if the medical device, or the surfaces that patients commonly touch in the hospital setting, are embedded with antibacterial agents that make those surfaces deadly to bacteria—yet safe for human contact.
As a result, the medical industry is eager to develop products made from “smart” polymers that can improve patient outcomes and counter the increase in hospital-acquired infections, these can be called medical plastics.
Applications for antimicrobial plastics in the health-care field are many: a short list includes implantable medical devices, joint replacements, catheters, surgical instruments, trays, food carts, bed rails, etc.
There are also plenty of opportunities outside health care—other examples are clean rooms for sensitive electronics testing and assembly, water-treatment systems, food packaging, plumbing and HVAC, sterile packaging, conveyors, public transportation, medical/diagnostic equipment, dental implants, personal care products—even office equipment.
Antimicrobial resins can be formulated for all standard injection molded plastics. Part of the challenge in engineering antimicrobial resins is finding the right “carrier” for the antimicrobial agent that integrates homogenously into the resin without altering its physical or thermal properties; chemical concentrations must also be carefully calculated to provide a steady release of ions at a pre-determined rate.
This is where material science really comes into play—the chemical interaction between the carrier, the antimicrobial agent, and the polymer must be precisely understood in order to achieve the correct release rate. If the release is too slow, bacteria may not be killed off; if the release is too fast, a metallic complex may develop within the polymer that might hinder performance or longevity. (Source: Scientific Molding by Kaysun)
Silver is most popular antimicrobial—long known to kill over 99.99% of bacteria within 24 hours of contact, it is safe for human tissue. Antimicrobial resins have been developed than can kill the most deadly infections, including MRSA.
You may want to consider antimicrobial resins for your injection-molded products if surface bacterial growth is a problem and inhibits performance. Aesthetics matter, too—bacterial discoloration or bioslime can be huge turn-offs, depending on the use of the product. Chances are if the production environment has moisture, heat, and organic material, bacteria will be lurking there too, which could be problematic for operations. If bacteria could be a problem, contact Kaysun and we’ll help answer your questions about antimicrobial plastics and connect you with qualified suppliers.
As a result, the medical industry is eager to develop products made from “smart” polymers that can improve patient outcomes and counter the increase in hospital-acquired infections, these can be called medical plastics.
Applications for antimicrobial plastics in the health-care field are many: a short list includes implantable medical devices, joint replacements, catheters, surgical instruments, trays, food carts, bed rails, etc.
There are also plenty of opportunities outside health care—other examples are clean rooms for sensitive electronics testing and assembly, water-treatment systems, food packaging, plumbing and HVAC, sterile packaging, conveyors, public transportation, medical/diagnostic equipment, dental implants, personal care products—even office equipment.
Antimicrobial resins can be formulated for all standard injection molded plastics. Part of the challenge in engineering antimicrobial resins is finding the right “carrier” for the antimicrobial agent that integrates homogenously into the resin without altering its physical or thermal properties; chemical concentrations must also be carefully calculated to provide a steady release of ions at a pre-determined rate.
This is where material science really comes into play—the chemical interaction between the carrier, the antimicrobial agent, and the polymer must be precisely understood in order to achieve the correct release rate. If the release is too slow, bacteria may not be killed off; if the release is too fast, a metallic complex may develop within the polymer that might hinder performance or longevity. (Source: Scientific Molding by Kaysun)
Silver is most popular antimicrobial—long known to kill over 99.99% of bacteria within 24 hours of contact, it is safe for human tissue. Antimicrobial resins have been developed than can kill the most deadly infections, including MRSA.
You may want to consider antimicrobial resins for your injection-molded products if surface bacterial growth is a problem and inhibits performance. Aesthetics matter, too—bacterial discoloration or bioslime can be huge turn-offs, depending on the use of the product. Chances are if the production environment has moisture, heat, and organic material, bacteria will be lurking there too, which could be problematic for operations. If bacteria could be a problem, contact Kaysun and we’ll help answer your questions about antimicrobial plastics and connect you with qualified suppliers.
Good readd
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