Bad Zurzach, Switzerland HeiQ Materials AG, the leader and inventor of silver composite additives and high performance sustainable textile finishes, has been granted Oeko-Tex Standard 100 listing as approved active chemical for its products HeiQ AGS-20 TF and HeiQ AGS-20 MB. For a textile product to be labelled with an Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certificate, all ingredient products and treatments have to go through extensive tests and then be proven by Oeko-Tex as safe to humans and the environment. The HeiQ AGS-20 TF and the HeiQ AGS-20 MB products now Oeko-Tex listed, allow textiles to become naturally odor-free by preventing unpleasant smell development, commonly a problem in sports training as well as tough climate conditions. “The Oeko-Tex 100 is a benchmark textile standard serving an important role in determining the eco-friendliness and safety of a product. The Oeko-Tex approval further confirms studies already conducted by leading institutes on the eco-compatibility and human friendliness of the HeiQ silver based products”, says CEO Carlo Centonze. HeiQ provides highly sustainable products for textiles through its innovative and unique silver composite technology requiring a minimum of silver to achieve higher and more durable performance. The HeiQ AGS-20 TF and HeiQ AGS-20 MB products are breakthrough textile products for all garment types that allow users to be as active as wanted and still feel and smell fresh. Due to HeiQ’s unique technique of treating textiles with its silver as a topical treatment or fiber integration, the odor-free effect can remain for the lifetime of the garment. ]]> Bad Zurzach, Switzerland HeiQ Materials AG, the inventor of antimicrobial silver compositve additives, today announces a worldwide, multi-year exclusive partnership agreement with B. Braun Aesculap, one of the world’s leading healthcare suppliers. The scope of the partnership is to develop healthcare applications featuring HeiQ’s unique silver composite technology. Hospital-related bacterial infections, so called Nosocomial, are estimated to be the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States. The US Center for Disease Control estimates that nosocomial infections cost hospitals about $4.8 billion annually in extended care and treatment. Nosocomial infections are common with estimates at about 10% of American hospital patients, or more than 2 million cases annually. Death rates in the US alone are estimated to be as high as 88,000 deaths annually. A great majority of healthcare-acquired infections involve many of the pathogens displaying antimicrobial resistance against antibiotics. Silver is effective across a broad range of bacteria and against mutating pathogens. It is also effective in blocking fungi and yeasts known to cause disease. While silver alone does not eliminate infection-associated complications, it may reduce the risk of such occurrences and can be a useful part in an overall strategy for hygiene management. Silver is known to be harmless to the human body at bacterial effective levels and is, for the most part, non-toxic and does not encounter the problem of microbial cross-resistance. In order to exhibit antimicrobial effects, silver must be present in the ionic state. The HeiQ technology provides an effective platform to maximize the antimicrobial capability of silver. Because of the particular HeiQ silver composite, HeiQ antimicrobial silver provides effective release of silver ions at low concentrations. HeiQ’s composite technology uses a firmly embedded reservoir system of metallic silver. The silver ion release is tailored to provide antimicrobial activity in a controlled way enabling a long-lasting antimicrobial effect. “We believe partnering with HeiQ Materials to develop silver-based antimicrobial healthcare solutions will be strategically important to our company and our customers in the prevention of hospital-acquired infections”, said Dr. Odermatt, Head of R&D Wound Closure at B. Braun Aesculap in Tuttlingen. "We are very pleased to have received recognition for our products by B. Braun and will now together focus on application integration of our silver composite as a trend-setting technology against healthcare-related infections into B. Braun’s own healthcare products. This proves that HeiQ continues to attract partnerships with industry leaders who share our commitment to bring innovative solutions to market”, said Carlo Centonze, CEO of HeiQ Materials AG. ]]> Bad Zurzach, Switzerland HeiQ Materials AG, the inventor of silver composite additives, today announces a worldwide partnership agreement with the Radici Group, one of the world’s leading high-quality man-made fiber manufacturers. The scope of the partnership is to develop fibers featuring HeiQ’s unique antimicrobial silver composite technology. The new bacteriostatic polyester fiber from Radici, is the World’s first man-made fiber featuring HeiQ’s groundbreaking composite technology. The Radici product has permanent bacteriostatic properties thanks to the incorporation of HeiQ composite silver in the PET matrix before spinning. The functionalized fiber maintains the handle, strength and elongation properties of the fiber. The silver composite prevents the development of unpleasant odours and dramatically reduces the proliferation of bacteria. "Working with the Radici Group is a great recognition of HeiQ and its HeiQ silver product. Our close collaboration has resulted in a very unique antimicrobial fiber product which meets the needs of modern users of garments and outperforms the competition in durability”, says Carlo Centonze, CEO of HeiQ Materials AG. The customer benefit of using Radici products over other fibers is the improved comfort, freshness and hygiene that is enabled by adding the HeiQ silver product. The Radici products dramatically reduces the growth of bacteria and fungi and thereby prevents unpleasant odours. All the while it is a clean technology containing no harmful biocides. “The partnership with HeiQ has allowed us to take our new product to the market quickly and we are confident this will be a sought after product with strategic importance to both our company as well as our customers,” says Mr Parenzan, Head of R&D Polyester of Radici Group Radyarn. ]]>