New safe-to-touch print tech helps reduce risk of transmission of microbes in homes, schools and supermarkets

• HeiQ Viroblock technology proven effective against the virus that causes Covid-19 by independent, third-party virologists*
• Treated surfaces inhibit enveloped viruses and microbes (such as all coronavirus variants, including omicron & influenza) by up to 99.9%
• HeiQ Viroblock technology gives printed coatings a lifetime surface protection for less than a penny

LONDON, United Kingdom - December 14, 2021 - Now you can create safe-to-touch packaged goods and printed material. As fears increase over the rise of the omicron variant, the latest Swiss HeiQ Viroblock technology delivers reliable antimicrobial protection. It minimises the risk of the spread of bacteria and viruses from treated surfaces—no matter who has handled products before.

ICP Industrial Solutions Group is the world’s first print coating manufacturer to incorporate the Swiss technology into their products.

HeiQ developed the technology to protect medical devices for frontline medical staff during the Ebola outbreak in 2013. Antimicrobial surgical scrubs and masks helped to reduce the risk of surface contamination. The technology continued to prove its value throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

HeiQ Viroblock gives added protection to more than 1 billion face coverings since the beginning of the pandemic. It also confers antiviral properties to many textiles, including the Queen of England’s designer gloves.

Today you can add this Swiss antimicrobial protection to your products, without breaking the bank. The innovation is thanks to a partnership between ICP Industrial and HeiQ.

The print coating can protect anything from schoolbooks to fast-moving commercial goods. ICP coatings powered by HeiQ Viroblock creates an antimicrobial surface to magazines, delivery boxes or plastic containers. It works well with water-based coatings on both paper/board and, plastic/films.

If you can print it, we can protect it.

Based on independent third-party testing, the combined ICP coating and HeiQ Viroblock technologies are low migration and acceptable for direct food contact applications**. HeiQ Viroblock technology is clean, safe and uses recycled ingredients to reduce environmental impact.

Recent studies show SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19) persists on surfaces and packaging for up to nine days. According to the editors, this poses a risk of contact transmission from surfaces.***

Surfaces treated with HeiQ Viroblock technology reduce the risk of hosting viable viruses or microbes. Reducing microorganisms and inhibiting the growth on the surface of print and packaging materials helps maximize the surface protection and reduce the risk of surface contact and transmission. HeiQ Viroblock technology combines antimicrobial silver chloride and unique liposome vesicle technology.

It’s effective in minutes****, not hours.

HeiQ Viroblock technology continues to protect 24/7. It is effective for as long as the surface remains intact — in other words, the lifetime of a printed coating.

Tests show HeiQ Viroblock technology actively inhibits microbes by up to 99.98%. Thanks to its unique silver chloride-vesicle technology, it does this is in a fraction of the time compared to other antimicrobial products****

And it is on the market today at a fraction of the cost.

The coating uses existing print technology. There’s no need to upgrade your equipment. Print staff need no extra training. And as it’s safe to use. It’s handled in the same way as traditional coatings.

Consumers can handle your printed products with confidence for less than a tenth of a penny per unit. Though only microns thick, and invisible to the naked eye, HeiQ Viroblock is durable for the effective lifetime of the printed coating.

At last, a commercially viable, enhanced performing, antimicrobial print coating process.

HeiQ Viroblock technology uses biocidal active ingredient compliant with EU BPR (Biocidal Product Regulation) and has been approved for food contact materials.**

ICP Industrial’s Division President Paul Grzebielucha said: “We’re excited to offer this innovative Swiss surface protection technology to the print world. We have the global reach to provide this protection on billions of printed surfaces each year.

“This game changing-technology has proven to be superior to any other solution that is currently available. It has proven efficacy in minutes rather than hours—with an effective rate of 99.98%. Our partnership with HeiQ is providing a safer touch environment to the world.”

—ends—

For more information, images and interview requests, please contact Gareth Morgan
Tel: +44 7572 671231
Email: gareth@restlesscommunications.co.uk

Note to editors:

Supporting evidence: Has to appear at bottom of article
Independent report on efficacy against SARS-CoV-2
*M.J (2020) Report on Viral Stability and Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 on Treated Material. Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity. Australia
**Eurofin Declaration of Compliance reports dated 25/08/2021
***Report on viruses persisting on untreated surfaces
Kampf G, Todt D, Pfaender S, Steinmann E. Persistence of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces and their inactivation with biocidal agents. J Hosp Infect. 2020;104(3):246−51.
****Tests conducted by a multitude of test institutes show HeiQ Viroblock technology effective at 99.9% after 5 minutes.
Selected test reports are published under: https://heiq.com/heiq-viroblock-npj03-test-reports/

About ICP Industrial:
ICP Industrial Solutions Group is an innovative technology company manufacturing under brands Nicoat®|MinusNine|HiTech Coatings supplying a high-performance portfolio of aqueous, UV/LED/EB, silicone, speciality coatings and adhesive technologies. Our global R&D team is spread across three centres of excellence on two continents with additional supporting global facilities. The company excels in its ability to offer top quality customisable products globally for the graphic arts, print and packaging industry while maintaining one of the highest customer service ratings in the coatings industry

About HeiQ:
Founded in 2005 as a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) and listed on the London Stock Exchange Main Market (LSE:HEIQ), HeiQ is a leader in textile innovation creating some of the most effective, durable and high-performance textile technologies on the market today. HeiQ’s mission is to improve the lives of billions of people through pioneering textiles and materials innovation. Combining three areas of expertise – scientific research, speciality materials manufacturing and consumer ingredient branding – HeiQ is the ideal innovation partner to create differentiating and sustainable textile products and capture the added value at the point of sale. With a total capacity of 45’000 tons per year, HeiQ manufactures in the USA, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, Germany, and Australia supplying its speciality chemical products in over 60 countries worldwide.