TECHNOLOGY
Automatic preservation technology without dosing, energy and maintenance effort
The Silvertex® material effectively reduces the growth of germs in stored water through its antibacterial properties. It thus inhibits the formation of biofilm and the resulting microbial contamination, which is often associated with high cleaning/maintenance costs.
The large effective surface of the Silvertex® material can be optimally flown through due to the open design of its structure and thus enables the self-regulating release of silver ions into the surrounding fluid. Due to its flexible shape, the Silvertex® material can be inserted into almost any cleaning/maintenance opening.
Mechanism of action
When the metallic (elemental) silver comes into contact with the oxygen-containing water/fluid, a concentration-dependent amount of Ag+ ions is formed. These formed Ag+ ions are solvated by water/fluid, enter the fluid phase and are removed. The positively charged Ag ions associate with the negatively polarised membranes of microorganisms. From this, initially electrostatic interaction, a multitude of chemical reactions develop. These chemical reactions, with over 30 proven mechanisms of action of the silver ions, lead to reactions in the microorganisms such as metabolic disturbances & structural deformations, which in turn lead from inability to reproduce to cell death:
- Complexation with DNA/RNA
- Reactions with cytochromes
- Alteration of membrane permeability
- Blocking of thiol groups of enzymes (-SH → SAg, e.g. inhibition of lactose dehydrogenase, glutathione peroxidase)
- Reaction with carboxyl (-COOH) and amino (NH2) groups, etc.
How is the effective concentration adjusted?
Only the concentration of free solvated Ag+ ions functions as the antimicrobial effective concentration. The concentration of free silver ions in water and aqueous media depends to a large extent on which other substances (ions, complexing agents, etc.) are contained in which concentrations in the respective fluid. This fact is exemplified by the chloride (Cl-) ions contained in practically all natural drinking water, according to the law of mass action:
c(Ag+) = 1,17x10-10/1,3c(Cl-)
If corresponding chloride concentrations (Cl- in [mg/L] or [mmol/L]) are used in this relationship, the silver ion concentrations resulting under these concentration conditions are as follows:
| CL– [mg/l] | CL– [mol/l] | Ag+ [mol/l] | Ag+ [μg/l] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 0,28 | 4,67 | 50 |
| 20 | 0,56 | 2,33 | 25 |
| - | - | - | - |
| 60 | 1,69 | 0,77 | 8 |
| - | - | - | - |
| 100 | 2,82 | 0,46 | 5 |
| - | - | - | - |
Areas of application
- drinking water (according to European standard EN 15030)
- AHU (air handling unit) air humidifier
- process water
- fire extinguishing systems emergency showers
- apparatus and plant construction
- mobile gastronomy & food trucks
- camping, boating/yachting
- cooling towers
- evaporative cooling systems
Durability and shelf life
Silvertex® has a shelf life of 10 years when stored protected from sunlight. In contact with water/fluids, the shelf life or duration of use depends on the respective application and is usually 12-24 months.
Available sizes
- prefabricated (freely scalable product sizes)
- private label on request
Labelling
H410: Very toxic for water organisms with long-term effect.
Attention
Use biocides safely. Always read the label and product information before use
Manufacturer:
WM aquatec GmbH & Co.KG, Uracher Str.22, 73268 Erkenbrechtsweiler
UFI: FSW0-R00D-N003-E8XU
Active substance: Silver (Ag+) CAS.-Nr.: 7440-22-4
(5g/kg related to coated polymer material)
Silver as a preservative
Silver-based products have been used to keep drinking water fresh since Charlemagne. At that time, in the form of silver vessels in which the drinking water was stored, nothing was known about the specific mode of action of silver. Today we know that it is the positively charged silver ions that dock onto the microorganisms (e.g. pathogens such as Legionella, E.Coli etc.) and disrupt the metabolism of the bacteria or lead to cell death in over 30 different mechanisms of action. The microbially active silver ions have a unique long-term effect like no other active ingredient. Products based on chlorine or hydrogen peroxide cannot be “bound” in water, volatilise and are therefore not suitable for preservation.
