Photocatalytic Antibacterial Coatings - BYC Group Glass Processing and Coating

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Single Fired Anti-Bacterial Coatings that Show Photocatalytic Activity within the Visible Range

Photocatalytic activity was first observed in TiO₂ particles when their role in water hydrolysis was discovered. Photocatalytic materials also exhibit strong antibacterial effects that are triggered by light exposure. Conventionally, photocatalytic properties of nanoparticles that are incorporated in a coating precursor are activated by UV radiation. However, sun is a much better visible light emitter than it is a UV emitter so it is desirable to have photo-catalyst materials to be used in outdoor applications for better efficiency under sunlight. Additionally, UV light sources, artificial or not, pose a great threat to human health by promoting skin cancer.

BYC United offers a new material solution whose photocatalytic activity is shifted towards the visible radiation range thanks to its band-gap engineered nanoparticle content. The new coating is optically transparent and does not lead to any coloration of the substrate surface. The application involves spray coating at 80-100 ^oC and it does not entail an additional heat treatment step.

Light transmission spectra shows that BYC`s new generation photocatalytic coating possess strong absorbance character in the visible portion (350-750nm) of the EM spectrum, and unlike a conventional coating it does not absorb in the UV range (100-400nm). Alternatively tests with Rodamin B pigment under a sun simulator shows that its absorbance reduces most significantly for samples that contains the new material.

Optionally photocatalytic coatings from BYC United can be ordered with antibacterial additives. The customers are offered with several alternatives (depending on the application, a combination of them can be used for wide spectrum effect, please inquire) as antibacterial additives;

· Benzalkonium chloride (rated as class III antiseptic by FDA)

· Copper and its alloys

· Silver

· Omadine^TM and related compounds (EPA and FDA approved)

The addition of antibacterial agents as tested on gram negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and gram positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria, leads to >%99.9 decrease in population for each case.