A developer of specialty chemicals for textiles, Devan announced today new test results confirming the virus-reducing capabilities of its BI-OME fabric-coating technology on both unwashed and intensely washed fabrics. According to independent testing, BI-OME is proven to achieve 99% and higher virus reduction, including of SARS-CoV-2, on samples before washing and retaining 98.5% efficacy even after multiple wash cycles.

“In view of the COVID-19 pandemic and fast-approaching autumn/winter flu season, we were keen to provide textile manufacturers with concrete assurance regarding virus-reduction performance on washed samples according to ISO 18184,” said Devan CEO Sven Ghyselinck. “This exceeds the limitations of the post-wash antimicrobial results most commonly shared for other technologies, giving the textile industry a clear, more-precise overview of performance and wash durability.”

Devan said that it has worked closely with international third-party laboratories during the past few months testing different fabric substrates. Before washing, samples treated with Devan BI-OME scored “very good to excellent,” meaning they achieved 99% and higher virus-reduction performance according to ISO 18184. Polyester, cotton, and poly-cotton blends, among other substrates, were exposed to enveloped viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19; feline corona; vaccinia, the EU standard for enveloped viruses; and porcine respiratory viruses. After 30 minutes, BI-OME had reduced 99.96% of the activity of SARS-CoV-2, according to Devan.

A decrease in the virus-reduction performance of coating technologies is typical following a wash cycle. However, the tests show that fabrics treated with BI-OME retained up to 98.5% of virus-reduction performance, even when the fabric was washed 25 times. Devan said that it is continuing to improve its formulas to further improve wash resistance while keeping costs as low as possible.

BI-OME is suited for applications such as bedding, clothing, travel accessories, and transportation products. The coating is a non-metal, non-leaching quat silane-based chemistry. The product is BPR (EU, TR) and EPA registered and Ökotex Class 1 registered. It is inherently biodegradable, added Devan.

Devan is headquartered in Ronse, Belgium, with offices in the United Kingdom, Portugal, and the United States.