DEC. 8–ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill.–Specialty Coatings Company, Inc. has developed a series of high tech coatings that impart antimicrobial properties to control the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew on surfaces in food, beverage, pharmaceutical and electronics manufacturing environments.

The company has married the properties of a silver-bearing antimicrobial agent with a myriad of application requirements to create Super Series AM trade-named SAM ¿ a product it says has proven efficacy against microbial activity as well as the reduction of maintenance costs.

The antimicrobial compound is based on silver, a well-known and efficient antimicrobial agent that is safe and has been historically recognized for possessing these properties. When incorporated into resins, silver has been shown to control microbial growth and biofilm formation on surfaces without affecting coating integrity. This means its antimicrobial characteristics are long-lived and do not result in an observed “zone-of-inhibition” that is characteristic of other migratory organic antimicrobials in typical efficacy tests.

The silver ions in the antimicrobial compound are contained within a zirconium-phosphate matrix that acts as an ion exchange reservoir. The silver ions are released at a controlled rate, at the surface, which is important because it avoids the undesirable color formation that has been observed with other silver-bearing products.

SAM is manufactured using accepted coatings’ industry procedures and standards. It can be applied to aluminum and stainless steel, in addition to metallic coated and carbon steels as well. Application of the coating to the substrate is performed via the continuous coil coating process. Formulations for spray applications are also available. Epoxies are used for severe chemical resistance applications with a number of other polymers (urethanes, polyesters, acrylics) having also been designed to meet a wide range of customer requirements.