The COVID-19 pandemic has helped raise awareness about the importance of hygiene and health all over the world. The demand for surfaces that do not play a possible role in transmitting a virus has increased - be it in packaging, textiles, industrial or medical applications.

SUKANO high performance Antiviral Masterbatch is designed to do this: protect surfaces from acting as a transmitter. This makes the product key for environments that require with high hygiene and sanitary standards, such as the medical, hospitality, sports and events industries.

SUKANO conducted further tests after the last year´s results confirmed the effectiveness of the masterbatch against Feline Coronavirus and Influenza H1N1. The company has now run extensive tests against SARS-Cov-2 in an external laboratory specialized in microbiological testing and the results confirmed the effectiveness of the masterbatch: within the first 30 minutes an achievement of up to 99.9 % reduction on a fabric item's surface and a reduction up to 99.98 % within 2 hours.

SUKANO’s Antiviral Masterbatch is tested and confirmed effective against SARS-Cov-2.

“We are delighted with the outcome of the tests and have now confirmation on the deactivation of the viruses on fabric surfaces by a certified and specialized external laboratory, giving our customers additional trust and confidence to use our high performance additive masterbatch in their applications,” stated Michael Kirch, Global Head of R&D for SUKANO.

SUKANO’s Antiviral Masterbatch works by directly integrating an antiviral additive into the polymer, using proprietary formulation and technology, eliminating the need for secondary processing steps. This helps the environment by reducing waste and energy, saving natural resources.

SUKANO’s products are designed for recycling. The SUKANO Antiviral Masterbatch allows the final product to remain fully recyclable without a loss in performance, contributing to the common goal of a circular economy.

The Antiviral Masterbatch is efficient and the technology remains present and effective throughout the life of the product. The antibacterial efficacy was tested and remained after up to 200 washing cycles at 40°C, without impacting the fibers’ physical properties or yellowing.

The active ingredient used in SUKANO’s Antiviral Masterbatch is a registered preservative in the EU, Switzerland and USA. However, to claim antiviral effect and promote this in the final product, producers using SUKANO’s Antiviral Masterbatch must test the final product, have the results confirmed by a specialized external laboratory, and must comply with local legal regulations.