New hygiene coating for flexible flooring

Edited by the Buildingtalk editorial team Feb 9, 2005

Akzo Nobel can now offer manufacturers of flexible flooring systems a specially formulated coating which has been shown to kill a wide range of germs and bacteria, including the highly resistant MRSA.

Akzo Nobel Industrial Coatings , of Darwen, can now offer manufacturers of flexible flooring systems a specially formulated coating which has been shown to kill a wide range of germs and bacteria, including the highly resistant MRSA.

The new formulation is an addition to Akzo Nobel's Accolade range of coatings, which have been specially designed to enhance flooring appearance and cleanability by reducing dirt pick-up, staining and scuffing.

The new Accolade hygiene coating, which contains an active biocide, has been tested under stringent conditions at an independent laboratory in Birmingham.

The results showed that, after 24 hours, there was greater than 99.9% reduction of a range of bacteria, which included Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteridis, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus (the resistant strain).

The highly effective biocidal properties of the new coating make it ideal for applications in hospitals and clinics, where it will help to form a further barrier to stop the transmission of disease and illness.

It will also find application in establishments in all parts of the food chain, from storage warehouses and food processing plants to kitchens, restaurants and canteens.

The new Accolade range has been developed to provide a "factory finish" and is designed to be applied as a final production stage by flooring manufacturers.

Consequently, as well as providing long term flooring protection, often in association with professional maintenance programmes, Accolade coatings will also give initial protection during installation and construction to ensure that flooring enters service in pristine condition.

Coatings are available for all types of flexible flooring, including homogenous, laminate, plastisol and cushion floors, for both pvc and non-pvc formulations.

They are easy to apply by a number of standard coating application systems, including direct gravure, indirect gravure and roller coating.

The introduction of the new Accolade range is a result of the expertise and experience of Akzo Nobel Industrial Coatings in the development and manufacture of high performance coating systems for a wide range of end use applications.

These include coating systems for steel strip for architectural and white goods appliances use, coatings and adhesives for print finishing, where the company's Darwen factory is designated the centre of technical excellence for print finishing products within the Akzo Nobel worldwide Group, and high performance wood coatings for joinery, flat panels, furniture and flooring.