The growing prevalence of diseases caused by microorganisms is becoming a major issue for the healthcare sectors of many countries around the world. Moreover, due to the increasing microbial resistance against metal ions and antibiotics and the development of various resistant strains, many coating manufacturers are looking for alternatives to the conventionally used coatings. In addition to this, the rising usage of indoor air quality items is boosting the worldwide demand for antimicrobial coatings.

 

Nowadays, many companies are following the standards defined by various environment care organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for developing new coatings having different formulations such as anti-odor and antibacterial properties. Antimicrobial coatings are basically used for protecting surfaces and products from various microorganisms such as fungi, germs, parasites, and bacteria. The presence of an antimicrobial agent in these coatings prevents the growing of microorganisms on surfaces. They are usually applied on door handles, walls, vents, and counters.

 

Besides the aforementioned surfaces, these coatings are also applied on masks, carpeting, textiles, and gloves. With the rising public awareness of various diseases caused by microorganisms, the sales of antimicrobial coatings are ballooning rapidly all over the world. Apart from this, the growing usage of these coatings in plastic packaging is also pushing up the worldwide sales of these materials. This is, in turn, driving the advancement of the global antimicrobial coatings market. 

 

Copper and silver the major products used in antimicrobial coatings. Between the two, the usage of silver is considerably higher in these coatings in the present time, as per the observations of the market research company, P&S Intelligence. This is because of the high requirement for inorganic silver antimicrobial coating systems based on colloidal silver, silver salts, ion exchange resins or silver zeolite, nanosilver, and complex glasses comprising metal ions in the healthcare domain. 

 

Medical, buildings and construction, indoor air quality, textiles, cosmetics and personal care, agricultural products, mold remediation, and food and beverages are the major application areas of antimicrobial coatings. Amongst these, the utilization of these coatings is presently the highest in indoor air quality applications and this trend is likely to continue in the coming years as well. This is because of the fact that one of the leading causes of diseases in humans is the bad quality of indoor air. 

 

These coatings are also being extensively used in the healthcare domain in various medical devices, trays, catheters, and medical electronics. Moreover, the requirement for these coatings is rising rapidly, especially in the European and North American countries, on account of the increasing awareness among the masses about these coatings. Furthermore, the rising focus of the governments of many countries toward reducing the incidence of hospital acquired infections is also propelling the demand for antimicrobial coatings.

 

Hence, it can be said with certainty that the sales of antimicrobial coatings will surge throughout the world in the future years, due to the growing prevalence of hospital acquired infections and diseases caused because of bad quality of indoor air and microorganisms.