ITRI TODAY

[ R&D FOCUS ]ITRI DevelopsNano-SilverAnti-Bacterial SprayITRI TODAY▂Summer 2010 Quarterly▂10ITRI’s Nano-silver antibacterial sprayercan be used on a variety of materials,including ABS plastic, glass, ceramics,and metals.Photograph by HUNG-MOU TSAIModern nano-technology hasdeveloped to the point whereit can be applied in our everydaylives, and ITRI recently unveiledone such application, a nano-silveranti-bacterial sprayer that uses silverions to destroy bacteria cellsand inhibit biochemical activity.This sprayer works on 650 speciesof bacteria, and is not only easy touse but also long lasting.Silver ions are easily affected byparticles in air and this may lead toloss of long-term effectiveness. Thenano-silver anti-bacterial sprayerdeveloped by ITRI’s NanotechnologyResearch Center (NTRC),however, makes use of nano-silverthread covered with polymer materials,which makes the product bothlong lasting and stable. It has a 99%antibacterial rate when first applied,and after thirty days still has an antibacterialrate of over 90%.The spray-on application acts asan antibacterial film, a protectivelayer which can be sprayed on doorknobs, table surfaces, and phones.This not only protects equipmentsurfaces but also protects againstbacteria. It is easily applied, andcan be wiped away and reapplied asneeded.Cooked up in the KitchenProject manager Ming-Jyh Changof NTRC explains that nano-silverhas a wide range of characteristics.Besides being anti-bacterial, it alsohas electrical conductivity, thermalconductivity, optical double-absorption,and is anti-static and anti-electromagnetic.In addition, the rodlikenano-silver technology used byITRI differs from the particle formoften used. This technology can createchannels, and be released slowlyrather than being exposed to the air,affecting people in proximity or disseminatingthe anti-bacterial effectinto the surrounding environment.The development of the membraneor antibacterial film createdby the spray drew inspiration fromhouse cleaning product ads on theshopping network. A spray was convenientto not only clean but alsostop the accumulation of grease anddirt, and a spray could be widelyapplied.