Aju Business Daily

SEOUL -- KCC, a top provider of construction materials and paints, has unveiled a functional paint that can be used at hospitals, schools, shopping malls and other multi-purpose facilities to prevent the spread of infectious diseases caused by pathogenic viruses and microorganisms.

The new paint applied with a special inorganic anti-viral material has the effect of eradicating more than 99 percent of viruses within six hours, KCC said on December 29, adding that anti-viral performance has been tested and verified by a Japanese research institute called Q-Tech and a South Korean research team from Jeonbuk National University.

KCC said its eco-friendly product lowered volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and did not use harmful heavy metals such as chromium compounds, lead, cadmium and mercury. The company said its new product has completed patent applications as an aqueous paint with anti-virus, antibacterial, and anti-fungus performance.

Due to a COVID-19 pandemic, various materials have been developed to hinder the growth and spread of microorganisms. In November, Samhwa, a leading paint maker in South Korea, developed an anti-viral paint made from acrylic resin that creates a strong layer of washable film which is hard to contaminate.

Lotte Chemical, a petrochemical unit of Lotte Group, works with a college medical center to develop anti-bacterial plastic materials. Antibacterial films and materials are widely used in South Korea for elevator cabins, door handles and other vulnerable places to prevent the invasion of viruses.