Chemical & antimicrobial companies fight back against Covid-19 Ankit Sponsored

A look at how Polygiene, Noble Biomaterials and BASF are using their expertise to protect people from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Jessica Owen reports.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, companies across the world are dedicating factories to the battle against coronavirus by either ramping up production of PPE or switching normal production to producing face masks.

Also doing their bit are the chemical and antimicrobial technology companies. Here we take a look specifically at how Polygiene, Noble Biomaterials and BASF are responding to the outbreak.

Polygiene

Another company that specialises in antimicrobial technologies is Polygiene. Its biostatic stays fresh treatment, originally developed for odour control, can help fight Covid-19 by inhibiting the virus.

Recently the company has received many questions and requests from customers and the public regarding if, and how, the Polygiene biostatic stays fresh treatment prevents virus.

Essentially, Polygiene’s biostatic stays fresh treatment works by soaking the material and thereafter, bacteria can’t proliferate in it. It reduces the bacteria by over 99% and this effect lasts over the lifetime of a garment. As there is less smell and bacteria, there is less need for washing, and products stay fresh and last longer, which is good for the environment.

It also inhibits viruses. Over the years, Polygiene has studied the effects of treated materials on the proliferation of norovirus, SARS and avian flu. A treated product will reduce the virus by  more than 99% over time, compared to an untreated material.

“We do not make any medical claims and a viral inhibiting treatment will never be a cure or solution to a viral outbreak, but it can certainly play its part in preventing unnecessary proliferation of virus,” the company says.

“As coronavirus can live up to 28 days on surfaces (according to an article in The Journal of Hospital Infection), we see that the application can help with textiles and other wearables that come into contact with eyes, nose and mouth. This includes for example face masks, napkins, shirt sleeves, jacket collars and gloves. Bedwear and bed linens could also be applicable here. Just like washing hands and using hand sanitiser, reducing viruses at places where there can be contagion, is of course good practice.”

Nick Brosnan, marketing manager at Polygiene, says that the company is very busy right now. He explains that the company is working with private and state organisations to help provide some support, or at least minimise the spread of the virus.

He adds: “We currently have a large mask producer in South Korea in production, and soon we are starting production with a large UK producer.”

When asked about how Polygiene is ensuring the health and safety of its workers, Brosnan explains that the team should work from home and respect the local regulation and practices currently in place.

The company says its overall vision is “to change the way we view clothes, from consumables to durables. We work for a world where we wash half as much and things last twice as long. Now the viral threat might actually speed up a transition to smarter fabrics and behaviours”.

Noble Biomaterials

First, let’s take a look at the antibacterial solutions provider Noble Biomaterials. The company, along with Chargeurs PCC Fashion Technologies, has announced it has launched a strategic collaboration to produce urgently needed personal protective equipment (PPE) for the healthcare industry.

Amid worldwide shortages of medical-grade equipment such as face masks and gowns, the two companies are working together to enable Chargeurs to manufacture PPE using Noble Biomaterials’ silver-based technologies.

Elsewhere, the company has currently increased production of its materials to meet the demand for face masks.

“Almost immediately after the coronavirus news broke in China, we had requests to use our materials in masks,” says Jeff Keane, CEO, Noble Biomaterials.

“The challenge is that masks vary in complexity and design, so each one is a ground-up project. We have several solutions and are working with customers to fit the solutions to their designs.”

Keane explains that infection prevention from microbial threats has been a key initiative for the company since its formation in 2000. Noble Biomaterials has worked with entities such as J&J, 3M, the US Military, Ansell and numerous healthcare and PPE providers to reduce microbial growth on soft surfaces.

One material in particular that has been key in this situation is X-Static. This is a premier silver antimicrobial technology designed to protect products from bacteria, fungi and odour.

“Microbial threats are a global issue and Covid-19 is spreading at an alarming rate,” he adds. “Noble works with end providers of infection prevention solutions and their supply chains to ensure that our technologies have maximum impact in the end application.”

Keane says that multiple studies have shown that soft surfaces in the healthcare and community environments are contaminated, and cross contamination from soft surfaces occurs frequently, which underscores the important role they can play in the transmission of microorganisms in the environment.

In a healthcare setting there are scrubs, masks, bedding, privacy curtains – soft surfaces are all around patients and a source of transmitting infection. In the private sector, apparel, bedding and household soft surfaces are transmission points. Studies have shown that the benefit of laundering is very temporary.

“More than ever we need to pay attention to soft-surface infection transmission,” Keane says.

“The global supply chains have done a remarkable job of staying intact and responsive to the challenges being presented by the spread of the virus. As we speak, we are shipping to all regions of the world.”

Noble Biomaterials’ Asian supply chain was affected for a short time but recovered relatively quickly, Keane explains. The company is considered a Life Sustaining Business in Pennsylvania (US) because it provides critical antimicrobial components to the healthcare and military sectors; it has been able to keep the Pennsylvania manufacturing facility open.

BASF

Lastly, the German chemical company BASF is producing products that are essential for containing and combating the virus.

The products include items for the production of protective masks, eg adhesives for nonwovens, plasticisers, antioxidants and light stabilisers for the elastic bands and filter units of the masks and colour pigments. Additionally, it makes products for the manufacture of protective suits, eg plastics, plasticisers, pigments and coating materials.

“We are in close contact with our customers, suppliers and logistics service providers in order to find practical solutions depending on the situation and to maintain the supply of our customers as far as possible, even with increasing difficulties in the supply chain,” says Christian Zeintl, corporate media relations, BASF.

As part of an overarching contingency plan, BASF has had a ‘pandemic preparedness plan’ for a long time, Zeintl explains. This ensures that the company can react at all levels of the organisation even if the coronavirus spreads further.

For this plan, BASF has set up crisis teams in all regions to coordinate all measures. Furthermore, the global crisis team meets every day in Ludwigshafen, Germany, and is in close contact with the regional crisis teams. This ensures optimal coordination worldwide. The crisis teams evaluate current information from external and internal experts and decide on a daily basis which measures are appropriate for BASF at the respective sites and globally.

“In view of the current situation, BASF has consistently introduced measures at its sites to interrupt potential chains of infection, depending on local conditions,” adds Zeintl.

These measures, among others, include prohibiting business trips to risk areas, cancelling non-business-critical meetings and using virtual meetings instead, working from home, and strictly organising employees working in production in separate teams.