JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #101 - November/December 2015 - 23

antibacterial

A new GRP material with
an antibacterial surface against germs
To take full advantage of the innovative potential of fibre-reinforced
plastics through consistent research and development, Lamilux
launched a new technologically advanced and solution-oriented project which has culminated in a spectacular new composite material.

By
SaScha OSwald
PrOject manager,
lamilux cOmPOSiteS gmbh

Major threat in hospitals
Multi-resistant germs pose a major
threat in hospitals and could be fatal to
patients. Clinics therefore constantly face
the challenge of preventing dangerous
hospital germs from forming by taking targeted preventive and emergency
hygiene measures. The dreaded MRSA
(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) regularly appears in OR areas and
could cause wound infections and respiratory inflammation in patients - and it
is resistant to certain antibiotics. Medical
experts estimate that 15,000 patients die
from hospital germs every year.

Germs die off on the surface

hospitals in Germany is giving the
new material its vote of confidence.
According to a review by FOCUS,
the Asklepios Clinic is one of the ten
best treatment centres for orthopaedic
diseases. n
More information:
www.lamilux.com

Anti-infective panels
The material is being trialled in
practice at the Asklepios Clinic in Bad
Abbach, Germany. In some parts of
the OR, the walls have been covered
with the anti-infective panels. With
this clinic, one of the most renowned

A soft plastic sheet with a big impact: the new
fibre-reinforced composite by Lamilux is coated
with silver nanoparticles. This gives the material
an antibacterial effect which kills hazardous
germs, such as those occurring in hospitals, on
the surface

Focus
Lamilux Composites GmbH has been producing fibre-reinforced composites for almost 60 years.
This medium-sized company is the market leader in Europe thanks to its large production capacity, wide product range and technologically outstanding continuous manufacturing process. The
company supplies customers around the globe in a wide range of sectors, such as the automotive and recreational vehicle industries, refrigerated storeroom and cell assembly, the construction
industry and many other industrial sectors. In 2014, Lamilux and its 700 employees achieved a
turnover of 190.5 million euros. The family-managed company is based in Rehau, Bavaria.

The new antibacterial material, called
No101 November - December 2015 / jec

Feature Building & Construction

he new composite material developed is a fibre-reinforced plastic
with a nanosilver-coated surface
that gives it an antibacterial effect and
kills germs within just a few hours. The
material was initially developed specifically as a wall coating for operating
rooms in hospitals. The Regensburgbased research company Rent-aScientist, a world leader in nanosilver
research, was the partner in this project.

"Lamilux AntiBac", can be used for both
wall and ceiling panels. Together with
Rent-a-Scientist, Lamilux developed a
nanosilver coating on which it has been
scientifically proven that dangerous
germs die within a few hours. In addition to clinical use, there are also numerous areas of application for the high-tech
material, mainly in the food industry,
where high hygiene standards need to
be maintained and sterility is paramount. Examples include refrigerated
warehouses, cold stores and refrigerated
vehicles as well as processing areas and
slaughterhouses.

composites magazine 23

http://www.lamilux.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #101 - November/December 2015