China’s Antibacterial Industry Grows Rapidly

By Li Bizhong and Zhang Yingzeng (Branch Committee for Antimicrobial Industry, National Institute for Health Industry Management)

In recent years, China’s traditional enterprises have promoted antibacterial products, which boast around RMB80 billion of annual volume of production and marketing. Many products have been sold to Japan, Europe and the U.S.

1. Industry's Geographic Distribution

Domestic antibacterial material manufacturers are mainly located in developed regions like Beijing and southeastern coastal areas.
   Some enterprises have made progress in this industry, including HKH National Engineering Research Center of Plastics Co., Ltd, Beijing ChamGo Nano-Tech Co., Ltd, Beijing SR Technology Ltd, Shanghai Runhe Nano Materials Sci-Tech Co., Ltd, Shanghai HuZheng Nano Technology Co., Ltd, Haining Haitai Fine Chemical Co., Ltd, Guangdong Aona New Chemicals Co., Ltd, Jinda Nano Tech (Xiamen) Co., Ltd, Anshan Yuyuan Plastic Antibacterial Agent Co., Ltd, Chengdu Crystrealm Co., Ltd.
   Many corporations have their own featured products. For example, Changzhou Gardensun Anti-Bacterial Materials Technology Co., Ltd focuses on surface antibacterial stainless steel; Qinhuangdao Bangxin New Material Science and Technology Co., Ltd, antibacterial glass.
   There are two international mergers between Lonza Group and ARCH, Microban and WM Barr.

2. Vibrant Market

As consumers have paid more attention to product security, global antibacterial plastic business will develop continuously, with industrial products to reach GBP1.4 billion and consumer goods GBP1.03 billion in 2015, when 20% of the world's plastic products will be bacteria resistant.
   Being the most active player in recent years, Sinopec sells hundreds of thousands of tons of polypropylene (PP) every year to be applied in washing machines and refrigerators. Its subsidiaries have started to develop antibacterial PP resins, antibacterial fibers, special antibacterial PP materials for non-woven fabrics, etc.
Antibacterial stainless steel, produced by Baosteel and Taiyuan Iron & Steel (Group) Co., Ltd has been put to use in fields such as tableware and cooking utensils.

3. Wide Applications

Antibacterial products are most widely used in household appliances, textiles and construction materials. Enterprises that have launched antibacterial products mainly include:

* Appliance Industry: Haier Group, Midea Group, Gree Group, Galanz Group, Hisense Group, TCL Group, Panasonic, Samsung, Whirlpool;

* Textile Industry: Shanghai Three Gun Group, Weiqiao Textile Company Limited, Dohia Home Textile Stock Co., Ltd, Sinotextiles Corporation Limited, Quanzhou Huanqiu Athletic Shoes & Garments Co., Ltd, Li Ning Company Limited, Xtep Group, ANTA Group, Baofeng Shoe Industry Co., Ltd, Xinhua Share Co., Ltd, Clariant, Toray;

*Construction Material Industry: JOMOO Group Co., Ltd, Zhongke Chuwei Co., Ltd, Shengda Forestry Industry (Group) Co., Ltd, Ningbo Oulin Group, Foshan Gaoming Shuncheng Ceramic Co., Ltd, Shanghai Ruihe Pipe Co., Ltd, Guangdong Yingao Kitchen Utensils Co., Ltd, Dben Pipe (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, Shandong GUOQIANG Hardware Science and Technology Joint-Stock Co., Ltd, Shenzhen Style Furniture Co., Ltd, Motian Paint Corporation, Nippon Paint, AkzoNobel, PPG Industries Inc.
   Antibacterial coatings, antibacterial glass, antibacterial rubber floors and antibacterial curtains have been applied in hospitals. For example, antibacterial coatings produced by Fanghao Sino Technology Co., Ltd have been used in more than 300 hospitals, and antibacterial glass of Qinhuangdao Bangxin New Material Science and Technology Co., Ltd, is installed in Peking University Third Hospital.
   Medical device producers have utilized antibacterial materials in recent years. Some enterprises such as Shenzhen AGT Pharm Co., Ltd, Shenzhen Yuanxing Nano Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd and Anson Nano Bio-technology (Zhuhai) Co., Ltd have set foot in the field of nano-silver based medical devices. Their typical products include nano-silver based medical dressing, nano-silver based lotion and nano-silver based hydrojet. According to statistics, more than 100 kinds of nano-silver based medical devices have been granted a "Xie-Type (Medical Device)" registration number by the State Food and Drug Administration. In the General Technical Requirements on Nano-silver Based Dressing (Primary Standard), which has been submitted for examination and approval, the State sets general requirements for nano-silver based dressing, including technical request and test procedure regarding physical & chemical & biological properties of nano silver raw materials, host materials and finished nano-silver based dressing products.

5. Criteria

ISO Photocatalysis Criteria and ISO Criteria on Antibacterial Agents for Shoes are being formulated respectively under the guidance of the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry CAS and National Technical Committee 305 on Footwear of Standardization Administration of China. In China, the national compulsory standards for antibacterial appliances are of greatest significance.

6. Huge market potential

After more than 10 years of development, China's antibacterial industry boasted over RMB80 billion of annual output value in 2011, expected to exceed RMB120 billion in 2015.
   In the next three to five years, the industry will witness the following changes:
(1) Better Antibacterial Standardization System – China's antibacterial industry will set new standards and revise old ones, overcoming the problem that existing test methods are inapplicable to new technologies and new materials. Establishing an international antibacterial institute has been put on agenda as unified standards and trade contacts are increasingly important for the world's antibacterial industry.
(2) Improved Third-party Test Capability – Today's third-party antibacterial testing has two problems: test repeatability in the same laboratory and result unity among different labs. Solving these is urgent. Inconsistency, especially third-party discordance, will greatly curb the development of China's antibacterial industry.
(3) Standardized Antibacterial Market – With the progress in standard formulation, the Branch Committee for the Antimicrobial Industry of the National Institute for Health Industry Management will cooperate with third parties like the National Household Appliance Standardization Technical Committee to inspect antibacterial products so as to boost market standardization.