'Antimicrobial' is simply the term used to describe something that has the
ability to resist the growth of microbes, e.g. bacteria, mould and fungi.
Silver, in the form of silver ions, is the active ingredient in products that utilize BioCote approved antimicrobial technology.
Silver antimicrobial technology is safe, natural and sustainable. Silver has been used for centuries for its abilities to aid preservation, for example, the ancient Greeks used silver vessels to keep their water fresh and Chinese Emperors ate with silver chopsticks.
Prior to the introduction of antibiotics, silver was widely used in hospitals to combat bacteria and today it is used in a wide range of medical products, such as wound dressings and catheters, which have been shown to reduce rates of HCAI.
Recent advances in antimicrobial technology allow silver to be added to everyday products at the manufacturing stage. Silver is an ideal antimicrobial agent due to its efficacy or effectiveness against a comprehensive range of microorganisms and its lack of toxicity to non-target cells.
Silver antimicrobial technology can be applied to a variety of materials including plastics, wet paint, powder coatings, varnishes and textiles without affecting the performance or aesthetics in any way, other than imparting antimicrobial qualities.
BioCote® silver ion technology is:
- Simple: it can be economically engineered into your product, in the form of an additive, without large increases in production costs. Silver will not affect the aesthetics of your product and BioCote® protected products will not require any specialist cleaning or maintenance.
- Long-lasting: it maintains its antimicrobial performance for the lifetime of your product; it will not wear off, wash off or leach out.
- Safe: silver is regarded as non-toxic and is therefore a safe and natural alternative to synthetic, organic antimicrobials.
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