A large shift has happened in the polymer industry, a step boosted by the needs of those fighting the Covid-19 pandemic which emphasized the need for polymer technology that includes disinfecting anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties in products. Among the companies venturing into this “new normal” of polymer usage and production is Kraton Corporation which is currently seeking approval for a new sulfonated polymer from the United States Environmental Agency and other similar agencies outside the US which will form part of its BIAXAM technology product chain.
According to the company, the new product has been developed for use as a coating for PPE face shields and other often-touched areas like elevator buttons, door handles, cellphone cases and surfaces in public transportation, and is also suitable for use in peel-and-stick films in the medical , construction, packaging and textiles sectors.
The company reports that studies carried out at different departments of universities across the US concluded that this new addition has durable and long-lasting self-disinfecting properties capable of quickly inactivating 99% of the Covid-19 forerunner, the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Research carried out by n-tech indicates that this smart product is just one of the large number of anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and anti-viral products which can be expected to hit an expanding market place appearing in the aftermath of the virus, with an eye to servicing better and safer public health, healthcare, and workplaces by preventing pathogens from spreading.
In the process, it is expected the market for these products, once largely restricted to the health-care sector, will expand considerably to include industries and consumers made aware of the need for anti-microbial protection by the pandemic.
It’s estimated that by 2025 these smart antibacterial and antiviral products markets could reach the $1.3 billion mark, with manufacturers of new (or re-purposed) smart antiviral coatings expected to take the lion’s share of $340 million. Smart antibacterial surfaces which include embedded sensors and antibacterial delivery mechanisms, and might one day include sensors which both detect and identify dangerous bacteria, are expected to net a slightly smaller share of the revenue takings ($306 million). Developers of novel materials like biocides, organosilane nanocoatings, antimicrobial peptide coatings, and liquid metal can expect their market to reach $227.3 million.