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Editor’s note: Although we did not preserve the Q&A format for this article, it is the product of a conversation with Ryan Scott senior product development chemist with Microban International, which started with my questions, and eventually covered a range of issues in the antimicrobial textiles market.
“Antimicrobials in textiles” is a topic that doesn’t come up for frequent discussion. One reason is that traditional treatments have not changed dramatically in many years. That’s due in part to the demanding regulations for these treatments, and the difficulties in developing effective alternatives to treatments that have been available for years.
According to Ryan Scott, senior product development chemist with antimicrobial product provider, Microban International, “Establishing new antimicrobial chemistries is a very expensive and lengthy process. You’re looking at upwards of $10 million and five to 10 years.”
This has not prevented research and development, but it has prompted diversification in order to reduce some of the risks inherent in regulations and still meet the functionality needs of clients – some of whom may not require an antimicrobial, per se.
In addition to regulatory challenges, the market is shifting, with increasing interest in more “natural” products and earth-friendly alternatives. This, of course, lines up with the move towards more sustainable products and practices in the textile industry. The logical response, then, regarding trends in this market area, is a diversified product portfolio, expansion into newer market territory, and more earth-friendly solutions. This, however, is a slow and complex process for providers of antimicrobial and similar treatments.
Diversity development
When a company is doing business on a global scale, “each and every country, and even some states, have independent regulations and things you have to abide by,” Scott says, “so it’s a really complex network to manage and it’s really dynamic, as well.” The path to growth requires understanding the nuanced needs of a business customer.
“So, there are multiple ways to get there,” Scott says. “In regard to textiles, we’re looking at things that are more for repellency or things for stain release. Anti-odor, as well, is a really popular one. The apparel industry is heavily leveraged in this, and they’ve almost all completely gone away from looking at new antimicrobials,” he says. “So, if it’s anything that’s going against your skin, they’re not interested in it. [But] they want the functional benefit of antimicrobials, which would be odor control. In response, the company has developed three standalone products that provide odor control,” he says, “But in different ways.”
Scott notes that the textile industry is “very price sensitive,” and a product could be more expensive, or more difficult to use, and “might present the same ecological risk profile as what’s being used now,” he says. He adds that using something new, is not necessariy going to be something better, which serves to illustrate the complexities in finding the proper solution for a customer.
New market territory
The use of antimicrobial textiles beyond mainstay markets (athletics, health and medical applications) is growing in some interesting directions. “While still early, there is growing interest for antimicrobials for in the non-woven space,” Scott says. “OEMs producing materials for products such as awnings, convertible top covers, patio furniture and structural membranes are all looking for more sustainable, durable solutions – particularly, actives that are effective against algae.”
In essence, anything that’s going to be outdoors for a long period of time, which includes roofing membranes, such as would cover a football stadium, for example. “That’s a big one, as well,” he says.
“They all want antifungal and anti-algae, which can be delivered through the traditional use of products like isothiazolinone,” he says. “The chemistry has been around for probably 60–70 years, but they haven’t found anything else that works just as well.”
But this compound is harmful for the environment, and the isothiazolones only stay within the fabric for maybe a year, or possibly two, he says. “What they [customers] would really like is something natural and or polymeric, so something that would actually stay on the fabric for the lifetime of the fabric as well, providing lasting protection.”
That’s something Microban is working on. According to Scott, “We have some things in the pipeline that hopefully we can deliver in the next few years,” but he adds, “I can’t control how fast the EPA or the EU and their regulatory bodies move, so I can’t necessarily predict that one.”
Sustainable solutions
Apparel brands, as previously noted, want odor control, which has traditionally been accomplished through the use of antimicrobials. In an effort to eliminate heavy metal-based chemistries from formulations and create a more environmentally friendly technology, Microban has developed “Ascera” with an active ingredient typically found in berries.
“As these chemicals are found in nature, they are generally recognized as safe,” says Scott. “Now, because obviously you want to have a very controlled product when you’re distributing that on a global scale, we don’t necessarily utilize it from a natural source, because you just get too much variance in it, and it also would be much more expensive. But it is something that’s commonly found in nature.”
This is a more sustainable solution in part because of its durability on the textile, in addition to not having the ecotoxicity profile of more traditional technologies. “It’s not going to provide the same type of aquatic hazard that the metal-based technologies have.”
Microban has also partnered with CiCLO to provide a solution that offers the benefit of an antimicrobial on the fabric during its use life, but it doesn’t interfere with the bio-degradation of the fabric.
Antimicrobials—either traditional technologies or newer, more sustainable options—are being used in more end products and in more market areas. In fact, “Antimicrobials are used virtually everywhere, especially in products that are meant to be used outside,” Scott says.
“Not every OEM or brand will call out antimicrobial performance, but many general specifications rely on the ability to resist fungal contaminations. You can find antimicrobials in everything from food to cosmetics to coatings,” and he adds, “If you think about it, the lime juice in the guacamole is functionally an antimicrobial.”
Ryan Scott is a senior product development chemist at Microban International, where he drives innovation in next-generation antimicrobial and odor control technologies for a range of products and surfaces.
Janet Preus is senior editor of Textile Technology Source. She can be reached at janet.preus@textiles.org.