Bayer MaterialScience (BMS, Leverkusen / Germany; www.bayerbms.com) has developed a new “Makrofol” PC film with an antimicrobial coating. The translucent film reduces the number of microbes that adhere to it by preventing cell adhesion and suppressing the growth of germs, said Heinz Pudleiner, product developer for PC films at the company’s functional films segment.

Tests at sister company Bayer Healthcare (www.bayerhealthcare.com) have shown that the film can cut the number of colony-forming units of pathogens by at least 1000 times, he added. BMS said the material is suitable for frequently touched surfaces in public buildings, hospitals, retirement homes and doctors’ surgeries.

Specific applications include light switches, telephone touchpads, remote controls, touchscreens for drinks vending machines and ticket machines, and the storage areas of bedside tables in hospitals, suggested Pudleiner.

The antimicrobial coating contains a silver-bearing substance functioning as an active agent, and can be applied on either one or both sides using a coextrusion process. This substance is chemically bonded into the abrasion-resistant, inorganic matrix, so it does not leach out over time, BMS said.

Commercialisation of the film is scheduled for the second half of 2010. BMS said the film is available in standard thicknesses of 250 and 375 micrometers, and other thicknesses are available on request.