Antimicrobial resin cured rubber articles and prevulcanized compositions
First Claim
1. A dimensionally stable resin cured rubber article comprising at least one silver-based antimicrobial compound, wherein said rubber article exhibits log kill rates in accordance with ATCC Test Method 6538 for Staphylococcus aureus and ATCC Test Method 4352 for Klebsiella pneumoniae of at least 1.0 each after 24 hours exposure at room temperature, and wherein said article optionally comprises at least one silver ion release control additive and at least one antifungal additive other than said silver-based antimicrobial compound.
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Abstract
This invention relates to certain non-silicone resin cured rubber articles that are made from at least a majority by weight of non-silicone vulcanized rubber that include silver-based compounds to provide highly desirable long-term antimicrobial characteristics within the cured rubber articles. Such articles are in either solid or blown (foam or sponge) state (or combinations of both in multilayered forms) and can be utilized in a variety of different applications. This invention encompasses the presence of non-sulfur-based curing systems and agents, such as resin curing, that permit vulcanization and do not irreversibly bind silver ions thereto, thereby resulting in long-term antimicrobial performance of the ultimate rubber article itself. This invention also encompasses certain non-silicone pre-vulcanized raw rubber formulations made from at least a majority by weight of non-silicone rubber that include silver-based components to provide highly desirable long-term antimicrobial characteristics within the ultimate resin cured rubber articles made therefrom.
20 Citations
43 Claims
- 1. A dimensionally stable resin cured rubber article comprising at least one silver-based antimicrobial compound, wherein said rubber article exhibits log kill rates in accordance with ATCC Test Method 6538 for Staphylococcus aureus and ATCC Test Method 4352 for Klebsiella pneumoniae of at least 1.0 each after 24 hours exposure at room temperature, and wherein said article optionally comprises at least one silver ion release control additive and at least one antifungal additive other than said silver-based antimicrobial compound.
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13. A dimensionally stable resin cured rubber-containing article comprising at least one silver-based antimicrobial agent, wherein said article exhibits antifungal properties such that said article exhibits at least 60% inhibition in accordance with Test Method ISO 846 of Aspergillus niger ATCC 6275 for at least 10 days at 30°
- C. and at greater than 90% humidity, and wherein said article optionally comprises at least one silver ion release control additive and at least one antifungal additive other than said silver-based antimicrobial compound.
- View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21)
- 22. A pre-vulcanized rubber formulation comprising at least one rubber constituent, the majority of which must be a non-silicone rubber, at least one silver-based antimicrobial compound and at least one resin curing compound, wherein all of said resin curing compound present within said formulation does not include an appreciable amount of sulfur-based compounds, and wherein said rubber formulation optionally comprises at least one blowing agent, at least one silver ion release control additive, and at least one antifungal additive other than said silver-based antimicrobial compound.
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43. A rubber composition comprising at least one rubber component, at least one resin curing agent, and at least one silver-based antimicrobial agent, and optionally comprising at least one blowing agent, at least one silver ion release control additive, and at least one antifungal additive other than said silver-based antimicrobial compound.
Specification