The company, a global leader in colour and additive concentrates and performance solutions for the plastics industry, believes that the solution will help provide long-lasting antimicrobial protection for food processing equipment.
"Our expanded relationship with Milliken & Company means that state-of-the-art antimicrobial masterbatches will be more widely available throughout the world," said Ruggero Facchinetti, head of Clariant Masterbatches in Italy.
"AlphaSan's leading-edge technology, along with Milliken's outstanding support and development services, makes it an excellent choice for Clariant and our customers."
The Clariant Masterbatches Division provides innovative colouring systems, develops compatible colourants and additives for new materials and devises technical breakthroughs for virtually every synthetic fibre and thermoplastic in use today.
The two most popular antimicrobial masterbatches from Clariant in Europe are AlphaSan MB SLA0050122 / MB 30 SLADOC and NBAN698426/NEAN698445 in the USA. These masterbatches are based on inorganic antimicrobial ingredients finely dispersed in styrenic and polyester carriers.
Custom formulations of these zirconium phosphate -based silver compounds are also available in a variety of other carrier resins.
Other applications for AlphaSan masterbatches include the production of internal polystyrene linings of refrigerators. Benefits include high thermal stability, good dispersion, extraction resistance and antimicrobial protection that lasts the life of the product.
"By combining the resources of Milliken and Clariant, we are able to offer our customers a very high level of service and innovation," said Fachinetti. "Together, we provide a complete package that includes product testing, analysis and guidance from our technical development staffs."
Using advanced silver-based technology, the AlphaSan antimicrobial agent inhibits the growth of bacteria, mildew, mould and other micro-organisms that can cause odours, discolouration and general deterioration of various products. AlphaSan is currently used in a wide range of commercial applications, primarily in food and beverage processing equipment.