Affix Labs of Helsinki has combined its proprietary chemical binding technology with a well-established and safe disinfectant to make the product, which it calls Si-Quat. Independent testing at the Biochemistry Institute of the University of Lisbon, Portugal, has shown the active ingredient in the product kills the SARS-CoV-2 virus on contact. Meanwhile, the company’s own tests have shown the treatment to remain effective for about one month on frequently touched surfaces such as door handles.
Si-Quat kills 99.99% of the microorganisms it touches within minutes, Affix Labs says. Nevertheless, it is safe to touch, free from silver salts and nanoparticles of heavy metals, and non-corrosive. The principal active ingredient is based on quaternary ammonium, which has been accepted to be an effective surface treatment against the virus by several major regulatory bodies worldwide including: the World Health Organization (WHO) of Geneva, Switzerland; the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Washington, DC, USA; the American Chemistry Council (ACC) also of Washington, DC; the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) of Helsinki.
The proprietary binding of the product ensures that molecules of silane quaternary ammonium (silane quats) are aligned in a highly effective manner, allowing positively charged nitrogen ions to attract viruses and bacteria, and then penetrate their cell membranes to kill them.
To apply the treatment, users require only minimal training and basic protective equipment to spray or brush it on the surface and leave it to dry for six hours.
Affix Labs’ tests have shown Si-Quat is durable. Tests included repeatedly sitting in and standing up from a car seat to measure the loss of the surface treatment owing to friction. Even after one thousand such cycles Si-Quat is still bonded to the surface and active, the company reports. Other tests conducted included an assessment of the affects of physical and chemical stresses on hard surfaces (for instance, holding and turning a door handle for one thousand cycles, and simulations of cleaning cycles on melamine boards and metal sheets).
Tests of the durability of treated textiles to laundering are ongoing, but based on the company’s other products that use the same binding technology Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tom Sam believes Si-Quat should be able to withstand 30–50 domestic washes.
The company’s other products include an insect-repellent treatment (Repeltec) for fabrics. These treatments combine the repellent ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate with the binder and can be applied in a continuous process or in batches during industrial laundering. In the latter case, the treatment can currently only be applied to cotton. As well as woven, knitted and nonwoven fabrics, it is also possible to treat yarns directly, although this is only economically feasible for large-scale production operations.
Si-Quat was developed in January 2020 by the team responsible for Repeltec in direct response to the COVID-19 outbreak and with funding from the European Union (EU). Affix Labs has now begun to distribute the treatment around the world, adding new regions every week and actively seeking partners in various markets.