MATERIALS
TIME
COMES FOR
SURFACE
COATING
An anti-microbial surface coating developed by an Irish company
has been proved effective against coronavirus and could see many
more applications as a consequence.
We have probably
never before been
more conscious
of the dangers
presented by
touching surfaces than we are now.
The fact that Coronavirus is thought
to live on certain surfaces for days
has made us all understandably
wary of what we touch and of how
many others touch it as well.
This heightened awareness has
coincided, however, with the
widespread use of touchscreen
surfaces in public places – including
workplaces, fast food restaurants,
railway stations, airports, etc. Clearly
these sites are likely to be viewed with
caution by many for the foreseeable
future.
Concern about these services
pre-existed the current crisis,
however. According to a study
conducted in May 2019, 81% of people
recently surveyed would actively
choose to use public touchscreens
with a germ-free coating than use one
without. On average, one airport self
check-in touchscreen tested positive
for 253,857 colony forming units
(CFU). In comparison, an average of
only 172 CFU are found on toilet
seats.
Even so, the pandemic has brought
the issue into particular focus.
Research recently published in the
New England Journal of Medicine
shows the SARS-CoV-2 virus can
26 » JUNE 2020 » WWW.MADEIN.IE
survive up to 24 hours on cardboard
and up to two to three days on plastic
and stainless steel surfaces.
With this in mind, the
announcement that a leading US
testing laboratory has confi rmed that
surface-coating technology
developed by Irish company Kastus is
eff ective against the coronavirus that
leads to Covid-19 is obviously
signifi cant.
Founded in 2014 as a spin-out from
what was then DIT and is now the
Technological University Dublin,
Kastus has pioneered an
antimicrobial treatment that can be
used to coat glass and ceramics or
added to plastics and paint.
The treatment, which can be used
on everything from smartphones to
ceramic fl oor tiles and touchscreen
kiosks, had previously been proven to
have a 99.99% eff ective against
harmful bacteria and fungi including
antibiotic-resistant superbugs such
as MRSA and E.coli.
The testing, which was conducted
by Nelson Laboratories in New York
has now confi rmed its eff ectiveness
against the coronavirus that has led
to the pandemic.
Kastus’ solution is cost-eff ective
and provides the highest protection
available against superbugs, is
environmentally friendly and uses no
harmful chemicals. The solution is
easily applied during the
manufacturing process, before fi ring,
with no additional production steps
required.
As visible light falls on the coated
surface, it activates the unique Kastus
Intelligent Surface technology. Once
activated, this technology reacts with
moisture in the air to form reactive
oxygen species. These agents constantly
attack and destroy the harmful bacteria
they encounter, leaving a super hygienic,
germ free surface.
Kastus Glass solution is supplied in a
liquid form and applied to the glass
surface during manufacturing with
standard roller or airless spray systems.
The Kastus® coating is then sintered
with the glass surface at temperatures
from 600°C to 700°C depending on the
manufacturing process.
Once complete the Kastus benefi ts are
locked in and active for the life of the
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