The Environmentally Responsible Choice
Designing Spaces for the New Normal. Can Powder Coatings Help?
There has been a lot of discussion about designing spaces for our new environment, and the new world we all find ourselves living in recently. Rebecca Charbauski writes about the design issues in “Designing Safe, Compelling Shared Spaces To Rekindle Our Love For The Office”
“After months of working from home, most people say they want to go back to the workplace in some way or another. The reasons are consistent no matter which survey or study you read. We are more productive and enjoy work more when we’re able to connect with people in the office. Studies show we prefer to meet, socialize and connect (scheduled or unscheduled) with others in person.”
So can coatings contribute to the effort? The short answer is yes.
Coatings with additional functionality are nothing new. We have powder coating with anti-graffiti capability, additional scratch and mar resistance, high heat resistance, NSF complaint and much more. They’re available in thousands of colors, different product types (depending on the performance you need) and of course, they all boast a superior sustainability footprint.
The obvious place to start, because it’s what everybody is asking about at the moment, is with anti-microbial powder coatings.
At IFS we use an anti-microbial additive to provide anti-microbial properties to the powder coating. There are different types of anti-microbial additives including silver, copper and zinc, however the IFS anti-microbial additive uses silver technology.
The anti-microbial treatment can be added to most IFS formulations, which includes all colors and clear coats and the IFS anti-microbial treated powder coatings retain the anti-microbial properties over time.
The silver technology used in IFS anti-microbial treated powder coatings is put through strict, premium testing and achieves excellent test results. The anti-microbial additives are tested according to the internationally recognized JIS Z 2801 test method. The coating’s antimicrobial treatment successfully acts against mildew causing microbes on the coating, according to laboratory studies.
How does silver work as an anti-microbial?
IFS anti-microbial coatings use a silver-based agent to help inhibit the growth of mildew and spoilage causing microbes on the powder coating. When moisture is present, IFS anti-microbial coatings release silver ions. Silver ions can attach themselves to a microbe’s cellular enzyme, which inhibits the growth of microbes. As silver is a naturally occurring element, the silver ions used are also environmentally responsible and have been shown to offer protection against microbes that cause odor, mildew and spoilage on the anti-microbial treated powder coating, without high toxicity to humans and animals.
Powder coatings are factory applied finishes usually used on metal substrates (though check out the article on PureClad powder for non-metal substrates like wood and MDF if you want to learn about something new and creative!), so there are many different surfaces in offices, restaurants stores, hotels and stadiums that can benefit from the hard working, beautiful protection a powder coating delivers.