Antimicrobial Efficacy Studies

Antimicrobial agents are useful textile additives and have become more and more common in today's products. They provide textiles with significant resistance to odors caused by microorganisms and usually do not damage the appearance or feel of the fabric.

The Antimicrobial Efficacy Testing is designed to determine the percent or log reduction of a target organism when exposed to a textile material treated with some sort of antimicrobial product or substance. Often, a similar product without microbial treatment is used as a reference control to help determine the efficacy of the test material. This type of testing is primarily used for fabrics, such as those found in surgical face-masks. The method can also be modified to include different materials, time points, and test organisms.

The AATCC 100 test method is the most commonly chosen test and has become the industry standard for antimicrobial fabric performance in the United States. STEMart provides Antimicrobial Efficacy Testing based on AATCC Method 100 to quantify the bacteriostatic (growth-inhibiting) and bactericidal (bacteria-killing) properties of antimicrobial fabrics. Customized testing based on the needs of the client is also available.

Applicable Standards

• AATCC 100 Test Method

STEMart helps manufacturers quantitatively test the ability of their products to inhibit the growth of microorganisms or kill them. If you want to learn more detail about our service, or would like to consult with the experts at STEMart, please feel free to contact us.