HAVAN member, Valley Acrylic Bath, in partnership with the University of Victoria, is excited to announce it is working on an innovation to fight Covid 19, by creating a new line of antiviral bathroom fixtures, a new made in Canada solution for the industry and the world.
A grant awarded to the university this month promotes collaboration between industry and academia that address the pandemic.
A new coating will be designed to reduce the tendency of the coronavirus’s crown-like spikes from adhering to surfaces. Because vinyl-coated acrylic bath products, including wash basins, are already fairly hydrophobic, as well as being relatively inexpensive and lightweight, they will be used as a starting point for the new coating, which will be applied to surfaces as the final finish.
Ultimately, the new coating could be used on a wide range of surfaces, for example door handles, shopping carts and high-use countertops in schools, hospitals and recreation facilities. The coating, in the form of a spray or paint, could also potentially be used for surfaces in existing facilities, such as washrooms.
Valley Acrylic, a Mission BC company that manufactures acrylic bath and kitchen fixtures, was a natural fit for the project, having worked on NSERC-funded projects with UVic twice in the past. MORE.
