Application · Touch surfaces
Antimicrobial surfaces for things many hands touch.
ZCP brings Z-Chitosan into cards, handles, sports and play equipment via masterbatch or coating.
Z-Chitosan is compounded into the plastic or applied as a coating. The aim is to limit microbial colonisation of frequently touched surfaces.
- Problem
- Frequently touched surfaces on cards, handles, sports and play equipment
- Material
- PVC, PET-G, PC · PP, PA, POM, ABS, TPE · PVC and PU synthetic leather · EVA, rubber
- Incorporation
- Masterbatch (injection moulding, extrusion) · Coating (card lacquer, metal, pads)
- Test data
- selected test data on request, subject to review and NDA
The problem
Contact surfaces stay colonised for a long time.
Cleaning remains the basis. Materials with Z-Chitosan are meant to complement it where surfaces are touched often between cleanings.
Literature
Months
Many pathogens persist on dry, inanimate surfaces; S. aureus and E. coli can survive there for months (Kramer et al. 2006).
Staphylococcus
On contact surfaces in fitness centres, such as equipment, floor mats and handrails, researchers found mainly bacteria of human and environmental origin; Staphylococcus was the most common genus (Mukherjee et al. 2014).
Touchpoints
Where many hands touch.
The dots mark spots that are touched often during training. Select a dot to see material and incorporation route.
Handles
- Spot
- Cable and machine grips
- Material
- PP, PA, TPE, sometimes steel
- Incorporation
- masterbatch in plastic, coating on metal
- Status
- Feasibility per material under review
Pads
- Spot
- Benches and machine pads
- Material
- PVC or PU synthetic leather
- Incorporation
- additive in the top layer or coating
- Status
- Feasibility per material under review
Dumbbells
- Spot
- Dumbbells and weight plates
- Material
- steel with rubber or PU casing
- Incorporation
- additive in the casing
- Status
- Feasibility per material under review
Mats
- Spot
- Floor and exercise mats
- Material
- TPE, EVA, PVC, rubber
- Incorporation
- additive during extrusion or foaming, surface coating
- Status
- Feasibility per material under review
The dots show typical contact spots, not measured values.
In everyday life
Card
- Material
- PVC, PET-G or PC in ID-1 format (ISO/IEC 7810)
- Incorporation
- additive in overlay film or card lacquer
- Classification
- treated article if an antimicrobial property is claimed
Toothbrush
- Material
- PP handle, polyamide bristles
- Incorporation
- masterbatch in the handle
- Classification
- mouth contact, assessed per product
Building brick
- Material
- ABS
- Incorporation
- technically via masterbatch
- Classification
- toy: biocidal treatment generally prohibited from 1 August 2030 (Regulation (EU) 2025/2509)
Handle
- Material
- Door and appliance handles of PA, POM or stainless steel
- Incorporation
- masterbatch in plastic, coating on metal
Incorporation
In the material or on the surface.
The model shows a door handle with a section through the lever. Only particles at the surface come into contact with microbes; the magnified detail shows this.
Masterbatch
Processed with the plastic during injection moulding or extrusion.
Coating
Applied as a lacquer to cards, metal handles or pads.
Polymer matrix
- Material
- base polymer, e.g. PP
- Typical value wall thickness
- 1–3 mm
- Function
- shape and strength
- Z-Chitosan
- dispersed throughout the volume
- Testing
- ISO 846
Z-Chitosan particles
- Material
- Z-Chitosan microparticles
- Typical value in the model
- 1–5 µm
- Function
- carrier of the antimicrobial component
- Z-Chitosan
- here
- Test
- dispersion in cross-section (microscopy)
Surface
- Material
- outermost zone of the part
- Typical value
- top micrometres (model)
- Function
- contact with microbes, food and skin
- Z-Chitosan
- particles at the surface
- Testing
- ISO 22196 / JIS Z 2801; for food contact, migration under Regulation (EU) No 10/2011
Loading model …
Layers
Click a layer or tap it in the scene.
What am I looking at?
| Layer | Material | Typical value wall thickness | Function | Z-Chitosan | Testing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polymer matrix | base polymer, e.g. PP | 1–3 mm | shape and strength | dispersed throughout the volume | ISO 846 |
| Z-Chitosan particles | Z-Chitosan microparticles | 1–5 µm | carrier of the antimicrobial component | here | dispersion in cross-section (microscopy) |
| Surface | outermost zone of the part | top micrometres (model) | contact with microbes, food and skin | particles at the surface | ISO 22196 / JIS Z 2801; for food contact, migration under Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 |
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.
Regulatory framework
If an antimicrobial property is claimed, the product is a treated article under Article 58 of the Biocidal Products Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 and must be labelled accordingly.
Toys
From 1 August 2030, Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 replaces Directive 2009/48/EC and generally prohibits toys treated with biocidal products, except toys for permanent outdoor use. Public playground equipment is not a toy (EN 1176 series).
Food contact
Regulations (EC) No 1935/2004 and (EU) No 10/2011 also apply.
Mouth contact
Toothbrushes, teething rings and the like are assessed individually.
Classification without warranty · not legal advice · as of 26 September 2026
Classification, not legal advice. As of 26 September 2026
For your records
Partner fact sheet
- Problem
- Frequently touched surfaces on cards, handles, sports and play equipment; microbes persist on dry surfaces
- Materials
- PVC, PET-G, PC · PP, PA, POM, ABS, TPE · PVC and PU synthetic leather · EVA, rubber
- Incorporation
- Masterbatch (injection moulding, extrusion) · Coating (card lacquer, metal, pads)
- Test data
- selected test data on request, subject to review and NDA
- Regulatory framework
- BPR Art. 58 · Directive 2009/48/EC or Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 · Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 · Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 · EN 1176
- Partnering
- Samples and supply for plastics processors · Joint development · Licence on request
- Status
- Partners wanted
- Contact person
- Hadi Sultani, Managing Director · +49 176 84362604
FAQ
What product developers ask.
Your question isn’t here? Ask the assistant or the team.
Can a chip card be given an antimicrobial finish?
The approach is to add Z-Chitosan to the overlay film or card lacquer, where the hand touches the card. Lamination, printing, chip embedding and dimensions to ISO/IEC 7810 need checking. If an antimicrobial property is claimed, the card is a treated article.
Which plastics are suitable for fitness equipment?
Typical candidates are PP, PA and TPE for grips, PVC or PU synthetic leather for pads, and TPE, EVA and rubber for mats. Z-Chitosan goes into plastics as a masterbatch and onto metal as a coating. The key question is whether it withstands the processing temperature. Approved polymers are agreed in the project.
What applies to toys?
Directive 2009/48/EC on toys applies until 31 July 2030, then Regulation (EU) 2025/2509. Under it, toys treated with biocidal products are generally prohibited, except toys intended to stay outdoors permanently. Public playground equipment is not a toy. Toys with mouth or food contact are assessed individually.
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.
- Mukherjee N., Dowd S. E., Wise A., Kedia S., Vohra V., Banerjee P. (2014): Diversity of bacterial communities of fitness center surfaces in a U.S. metropolitan area. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 11(12):12544–12561.
- Directive 2009/48/EC, Art. 2(2)(a) · Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 (published 12 December 2025, in force since 1 January 2026, applicable from 1 August 2030).
- Regulation (EU) No 528/2012, Art. 58 · Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 · Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 · ISO/IEC 7810 · EN 1176 · ISO 22196 · ISO 846.
Does Z-Chitosan suit your component?
Tell us the component, the plastic and the process. You will receive a preliminary assessment as a project brief.