Application · Paints & coatings

Antimicrobial additives for paints and floor coatings.

ZCP, based in Dresden, provides Z-Chitosan as an additive to manufacturers of wall paints and epoxy floor coatings and supports its incorporation into the formulation.

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Freshly rolled stripe of matt white paint in a bright hospital corridor, roller on an extension pole against the wall — Fresh coat of paint in a hospital corridor

Problem: Surfaces in hospitals, cleanrooms and food plants as a reservoir for pathogens
Material: Emulsion wall paints, epoxy floor coatings
Incorporation: Additive in the formulation
Test data: selected test data on request, subject to review and NDA

The problem

Surfaces as a reservoir for pathogens in hospitals.

An antimicrobial coating does not replace cleaning and disinfection. It can complement them if test data support this.

Literature

Months
Common hospital pathogens such as Enterococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter or Pseudomonas aeruginosa can persist on dry surfaces for months. ^[1]
Hands
Contaminated surfaces contribute to the transmission of healthcare-associated pathogens. From there, the pathogens are transferred to the hands of staff. ^[2]
4.3 m
Each year, around 4.3 million patients in EU/EEA hospitals acquire at least one healthcare-associated infection. ^[3]

Paint cross-section

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Move the handle across the wall. The layers of the paint system open up beneath it, and each layer can be clicked.

Wall

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Model illustration

Surface

Layers

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What am I looking at?

Substrate. Material: plaster, concrete or plasterboard · Typical value: millimetres to centimetres · Function: load-bearing surface · Z-Chitosan: none · Testing: –
Primer. Material: penetrating or pigmented primer · Typical value: 10–40 µm dry · Function: consolidates the substrate and improves adhesion · Z-Chitosan: none · Testing: –
Paint layer with additive. Material: emulsion paint with Z-Chitosan · Typical value: approx. 50 µm dry per coat · Function: hiding power, protection, carrier of the additive · Z-Chitosan: dispersed in the film · Testing: EN 13300 / ISO 11998 (wet scrub resistance, cleanability)
Surface. Material: top zone of the paint film · Typical value: top micrometres (model) · Function: contact with hands, cleaning and microbes · Z-Chitosan: share at the surface · Testing: ISO 22196 on the dried film; EN 15457 for protecting the film against fungi

Epoxy floor coating · Typical value: 0.3–3 mm depending on the system, from roller-applied to self-levelling · Z-Chitosan: in the resin-hardener system · Testing: ISO 22196

Incorporation

How Z-Chitosan gets into the paint.

01
Additive
Z-Chitosan in a supply form suited to paints.
02
Incorporation
added during formulation; stage and dosage are agreed with your laboratory.
03
Testing
storage stability, viscosity, colour, wet scrub resistance and antibacterial activity on the film.
04
Production
handover of the formulation and support during scale-up.

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Model illustration

Layers

Build-up

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What am I looking at?

Layer	Material	Typical value	Function	Z-Chitosan	Testing
Substrate	plaster, concrete or plasterboard	millimetres to centimetres	load-bearing surface	none	–
Primer	penetrating or pigmented primer	10–40 µm dry	consolidates the substrate and improves adhesion	none	–
Paint layer with additive	emulsion paint with Z-Chitosan	approx. 50 µm dry per coat	hiding power, protection, carrier of the additive	dispersed in the film	EN 13300 / ISO 11998 (wet scrub resistance, cleanability)
Surface	top zone of the paint film	top micrometres (model)	contact with hands, cleaning and microbes	share at the surface	ISO 22196 on the dried film; EN 15457 for protecting the film against fungi

Empty, bright cleanroom with freshly spread glossy pale grey epoxy floor coating, notched squeegee at the edge

Where it is used

Hospitals and operating theatres
cleanrooms
food processing
schools and public buildings
epoxy floors in laboratories and industry

Origin and allergy information are on the Origin page.

Testing

Testing and classification.

Which tests a product with Z-Chitosan needs depends on the material, the use and the intended claim; we define them together in the project. To protect our intellectual property, selected supporting test data may be made available to potential partners on request, subject to review and a non-disclosure agreement.

View evidence

Regulatory framework

If Z-Chitosan is intended to act as a biocide in the paint, the paint is a treated article under the Biocidal Products Regulation (EU) No 528/2012; if it has a primary biocidal function, it is itself a biocidal product. The active substance needs the matching product-type: PT 7 for protecting the film, PT 2 for paints with disinfecting properties. If the property is advertised, labelling under Article 58(3) applies. ^[4]

PT 7 · film protection
PT 2 · disinfecting
treated article ↔ biocidal product

Status of Z-Chitosan under biocides law: clarified for each product type before a project starts

Classification, not legal advice. As of 26 September 2026

Regulatory details Treated articles

For your records

Partner fact sheet

Problem: Surfaces in hospitals, cleanrooms and food plants as a reservoir for pathogens; paints with a hygiene requirement
Materials: Emulsion wall paints, epoxy floor coatings; other binder systems subject to testing
Incorporation: Additive in the formulation
Test data: selected test data on request, subject to review and NDA
Regulatory framework: Biocidal Products Regulation (EU) No 528/2012: Art. 3, Art. 58, Annex V (PT 2, PT 7)
Partnering: Additive supply with formulation support · joint development
Status: Partners wanted
Contact person: Hadi Sultani, Managing Director · +49 176 84362604

FAQ

What formulators ask.

Your question isn’t here? Ask the assistant or the team.

How much Z-Chitosan does a wall paint need?

The amount depends on binder, pigment volume concentration and requirements. We determine it with you in a laboratory series: several dosage levels, tested for antibacterial activity to ISO 22196 and for paint properties such as wet scrub resistance, colour and storage stability.

Is Z-Chitosan suitable for epoxy floor coatings?

Epoxy floors are listed in the ZCP catalogue alongside wall paints. What needs testing is compatibility with resin and hardener, the effect on pot life and curing, and the share at the surface after levelling. For floors, what remains at the surface after abrasion and cleaning also matters.

Which test applies to coated surfaces?

For the antibacterial activity of dried coatings, ISO 22196 is usually applied, the standard for plastics and other non-porous surfaces. Tests use E. coli and S. aureus over 24 hours at 35 °C; the result is the value R, a log difference from the untreated sample. For protecting the film against fungal growth, EN 15457 applies.

Sources4

Kramer A., Schwebke I., Kampf G. (2006): How long do nosocomial pathogens persist on inanimate surfaces? A systematic review. BMC Infectious Diseases 6:130.
Otter J. A., Yezli S., French G. L. (2011): The role played by contaminated surfaces in the transmission of nosocomial pathogens. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology 32(7):687–699.
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (2024): Point prevalence survey of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use in European acute care hospitals, 2022–2023. Stockholm: ECDC; press release of 6 May 2024.
Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 (Biocidal Products Regulation), Art. 3(1), Art. 58 and Annex V (product-types 2 and 7); ISO 22196; EN 13300; ISO 11998; EN 15457.

Which paint are you formulating?

The feasibility check is pre-set for paints and coatings. Tell us the binder, the place of use and the test objective.