Heraeus Precious Metals has partnered with Covestro to launch AGXX antimicrobial surface technology, which is fully compatible with Impranil PU dispersions, a key component of Covestro’s waterborne INSQIN textile coating technology. This breakthrough paves the way for more sustainable antimicrobial coatings in the textile industry.

With the global textile industry facing increasing pressure to adopt safer, regulation-compliant, and sustainable antimicrobial solutions, Heraeus' sustainable AGXX eliminates bacteria, fungi, and viruses without releasing silver ions. It works through a catalytic reaction between two precious metals that uses air humidity to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). These ROS attack microbes by disrupting their membranes, organelles, and DNA.

“AGXX is skin-friendly, BPR-compliant, and suitable for multiple applications,” said Martin Danz, Global Head of Antimicrobial Technologies at Heraeus Precious Metals. “Our tests with Covestro demonstrate that AGXX can be integrated into Impranil® PU dispersions to deliver long-lasting antimicrobial protection in textile coatings for synthetic materials.”

With the global textile industry facing increasing pressure to adopt safer, regulation-compliant, and sustainable antimicrobial solutions, the combination of AGXX® and INSQIN® technologies offers a ready-to-implement pathway to meet the needs of today’s shared and high-use environments.