We fight against bacteria – with PA-Antibacterial

Every day people move from one place to another. While doing so, they touch and contaminate a variety of surfaces which means that bacteria and germs are spread and can be transmitted to other people. Bacteria are everywhere. Some of them, like those in our intestines, on our skin or in yoghurt, are healthy and useful. The wrong kind, for example pathogenic bacteria, or in the wrong place, they can make people ill.

PA-Antibacterial (sanitized polyamide) was developed to prevent bacterial growth on components made of these products. In tests carried out according to the standard JIS Z 2801:2010 for antibacterial products, it was seen that bacterial growth on the surface of products made using sanitized material was reduced by more than 99%. This means that antibacterial conditions exist on the surface of the material preventing propagation of the bacteria.

Application areas for this kind of material are found, for example, in the field of medicine, in public transport systems for handrails and handles, in an office environment for keyboards and telephones or in the automotive industry for door openers, buttons and keys.

Sanitized polyamide materials have been developed by EMS for the following product families, where use can be made of the benefits provided by the basic polyamide. The product families are characterised in each case by the following three core properties:

• Grivory GV: high stiffness and strength, low uptake of moisture or water, high ductility
• Grivory HT: high stiffness and strength at high application temperatures, low uptake of moisture or water, high resistance to hydrolysis
• Grilamid L: low water uptake, resistance to chemicals and weathering, high impact strength – even at low temperatures
• Grilamid TR: crystal-clear transparency, high resistance to chemicals, contains no bisphenol-A (BPA)