Antibacterial Agent for Engineered Marble
Engineered marble is used primarily in kitchen and bathroom products, where bacteria can readily proliferate. As a result, most marble manufacturers in China and abroad have worked to develop antibacterial marble. However, both organic antibacterial agents and conventional inorganic silver-based agents can present problems such as discoloration, limited service life, and low safety.
Our inorganic silver-based antibacterial agent for engineered marble is a highly effective, safe, and heat-resistant inorganic material. Its molecular structure consists of silver-containing glass microcrystals. Its excellent compatibility enables the host material to deliver outstanding antibacterial performance, even at low use levels, while maintaining a high degree of safety.
Antibacterial Mechanism
In the presence of moisture, the product gradually releases silver ions. These ions inhibit the growth and proliferation of mold and bacteria, helping control microbial contamination. Its unique structure allows silver ions to be released slowly during use, providing long-lasting antibacterial performance.
Features
The antibacterial agents currently used in the market are mainly organic agents and inorganic silver-based agents. When used in engineered marble, they have the following characteristics:
1. Organic antibacterial agents: short service life and low safety.
2. Inorganic silver-based antibacterial agents: long service life and high safety, but prone to discoloration.
3. Antibacterial agent for engineered marble: long service life, high safety, and excellent resistance to discoloration.
Discoloration Resistance
The antibacterial agent for engineered marble was incorporated into unsaturated polyester and tested under ultraviolet exposure and high-temperature conditions.
Method 1: 96-hour accelerated aging test in a UV weathering chamber (equivalent to approximately 18 months):
Method 2: Boiling-water test. Condition 1: 100°C for 40 min, followed by 75°C for 2.5 h.
Condition 2: 100°C for 8 h.
Both the 96-hour UV aging test and the boiling-water test produced excellent results comparable to those of the standard pure-white control sample.
Antibacterial Performance
Unsaturated polyester with 0.5% antibacterial agent for engineered marble
| Sample | Bacterial count | Log value |
Log value (control sample) − Log value (engineered-marble sample) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial | After 24 hours | |||
|
Unsaturated polyester with 0.5% antibacterial agent for engineered marble |
4.0 × 105 | <1 × 102 | <2.0 | >5.5 |
| Control sample | 4.0 × 105 | 3.2 × 107 | 7.5 | — |
Note 1: Test organism: Escherichia coli IFO 3972
Note 2: Test method: Japanese Industrial Standard JIS Z 2801
Applications
| Building Materials | Engineered-marble panels, corrugated sheets, pipes, fiberglass-reinforced plastic products, and furniture coatings |
| Household Products | Bathtubs, sinks, water tanks, toilets, and buttons |
| Home Appliances | Piano inner cases and sewing-machine table tops |