清浄水処理用抗菌性樹脂の開発

抄録

Clean water including trace amounts of minerals, such as tap water, mineral water, and natural spring water, is used for food, bathing, and beverages, and is circulated for cooling. A low level of microbial contamination is essential. When clean water is temporarily impounded prior to use, however, microbes tend to proliferate, and antimicrobial treatment becomes necessary, and it is extremely difficult to suppress microbial contamination over long periods of time without spoiling the cleanliness of the impounded water. We have developed an antimicrobial agent for water treatment that elutes an appropriate amount of silver ions into clean water. This antimicrobial agent was obtained by mixing a silver-based inorganic antimicrobial agent, which includes silver supported on a powdered inorganic ion-exchanger by ion exchange, into a resin. Compositions and molding conditions for making an antimicrobial resin which elutes a proper amount of silver ions continuously without being affected by noise factors such as water temperature and immersion time were optimized by the parameter design method of quality engineering. As a result, a new antimicrobial resin which elutes the proper amount of silver ions continuously was developed in a short period of time.