Development of Formulation Guidelines for Microbial Resistant Coatings

Structural materials are frequently painted with organic surface coatings for aesthetic purposes and to afford protection against environmentally degradative processes. The nature of these coatings makes them intrinsically susceptible to infestation and spoilage by micro-organisms. To provide a reasonable service life, biocidal additives are usually incorporated into the coating formulation. By their nature, such additives are potentially toxic and their use is subject to increasingly tight regulation and restriction. However, limited understanding of the mechanisms of the antimicrobial protection in surface coatings mean that selecting the level of biocide additives is not easy and larger than optimal doses are probably used.

This project:

• Examined the contributions made to microbial resistance of coatings through the range of typical formulation components used in water-borne coatings;
• Established the degree of microbial resistance which can be achieved by coating components in the absence of a biocide addition and sought to determine the extent of biocide additive optimisation which is possible, while continuing to achieve realistic protection;
• Sought test methods for screening the raw material components and quantify performance prediction for optimal biocide-containing coatings.

Further Information

If you are interested in this, or any other project, please contact Richard Holman.