Antibacterial Agent for Plastics

Introduction 

1. Antibacterial and mildew-proof agents refer to chemical substances that can keep the growth or reproduction of certain microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, yeasts, algae, and viruses) below the necessary level within a certain period of time. 

Antibacterial agents for plastics are generally classified into inorganic antibacterial agents, organic antibacterial agents, and natural antibacterial agents. 

2. Inorganic Antibacterial Agents 

Utilizing the antibacterial capabilities of metals such as silver, copper, and zinc, through methods such as physical adsorption and ion exchange, metals such as silver, copper, and zinc (or their ions) are fixed on the surface of porous materials like fluorite and silica gel to make antibacterial agents. Then, adding these antibacterial agents to the corresponding products can obtain materials with antibacterial capabilities. 

3. Organic Antibacterial Agents 

The main varieties of organic antibacterial agents include vanillin or ethyl vanillin compounds, which are often used in polyethylene food packaging films to play an antibacterial role. 

4. Natural Antibacterial Agents 

Natural antibacterial agents mainly come from the extraction of natural plants, such as chitin, mustard, castor oil, wasabi, etc. They are easy to use, but their antibacterial effects are limited, their heat resistance is poor, the bactericidal rate is low, they cannot be used broadly and for a long time, and the quantity available is small. 

The antibacterial agents for plastics added to plastics not only need to meet the requirement of low cost, but also have excellent compatibility and can maintain high thermal stability during the processing. In addition, the antibacterial agents must be able to migrate to the surface of the plastics to prevent the growth of microorganisms. Among them, organic antibacterial agents are widely applied.