From developing groundbreaking odor control and antimicrobial technology to testing product performance and environmental monitoring—the labs at Microban conduct over 40,000 tests per year. We fuel and encourage product innovation, and now, we’re giving you a glimpse into where our panel of odor experts, experienced microbiologists, chemists and engineers work their magic on the textiles side. Let’s dive in for a breakdown of all that goes on in our state-of-the-art facilities:
Textiles & Formulations Lab Services
Microban's textiles & formulations lab ensures satisfactory, compatible solutions for your fabrics, application methods and other textile auxiliaries. Testing processes evaluate textile materials such as polyester, nylon, cotton, rayon, cotton/polyester blends, acrylic and natural fibers for a stronger approach to inhibiting product deterioration. Our textile chemists have a comprehensive knowledge of fiber production, textile dyeing and finishing, formulation of spin finishes and textile auxiliaries.
Our on-site development tools enable us to simulate the application of antimicrobials to textiles via pad exhaust and spray methods. And our lab-scale drying equipment allows fabric treatments to be cured under precisely controlled conditions, measuring both on-fabric temperatures and dwell times during the process. Our textile chemists’ in-depth knowledge and our on-site analytical and development tools allow us to improve your speed to market timeline, creating minimal disruption to your current production process.
Whether your customers are searching for odor-resistant clothing and footwear or mildew resistant towels, our textiles & formulations lab can help you create cleaner and fresher products that meet your production goals.
Wear Trials
Wear trials are beneficial because they’re the most accurate testing method to reflect what the garment will undergo in the real world.
Wear trials require extensive collaboration and time to initiate because an effective wear trial must account for many variables; for example, how often will the garment be worn, for how long and under what conditions. Testing conditions must be communicated to the participants: will the participants be allowed to wear or wash with items that contain fragrances (deodorants, shampoo, body wash, cologne, etc.); will participants be allowed to bathe during wear trials; will garments be laundered, how will drying of the garment occur; which part of the garment is being analyzed; how are the samples analyzed once the wear trial is over. A trained sensory panel must then be convened to evaluate the odors. Odor test methods that simulate real world conditions can be customized for specific applications.
Microban offers its partners and clients several odor test methods to evaluate odor control performance. Regardless of additive chemistry or fabric type, the laboratories and scientists at Microban can help ensure odors do not interfere with achieving the best performance from your apparel, footwear, home products and other textiles.
Water Quality Monitoring
Microbiological quality of water is often at risk due to various unpredictable events such as flooding and infrastructure malfunctions. Water quality is also affected by poor planning of industrial sites, animal farms, barnyards and feedlots. The type of water source is generally indicative of the potential risks of contamination. Poor water quality can affect the quality of food crops and lead to illness in those who consume them. For example, the water may contain germs that cause human disease. Irrigating crops with contaminated water can then lead to contaminated food products, which lead to illness when eaten. While groundwater has been considered one of the safest sources of water, it may not be possible to use water from these sources for irrigation due to field location and size. Monitoring the quality of water used in agriculture, manufacturing, or for home use involves sampling and testing to detect fecal and non-fecal contamination. Results from these tests form the basis for development of appropriate solutions. Microban's microbiology testing services use standard protocols to evaluate water samples for microbiological quality.
Custom Microbiology Testing Services
Upon request, Microban® can provide extended support such as ceramic, polymer, and textile sample cutting and preparation, environmental/field sampling, identification of recovered microbes, and consultation for test result interpretation. Additional customized tests and services are available to suit your specific needs. Microban's microbiology lab provides you with rapid turn-around times on testing, shortened development periods and increased speed to market timelines.
It all starts with innovation here at Microban and without our world class laboratories, we wouldn’t be able to provide real-world solutions for our partners. To learn more about our laboratory testing services, visit: https://www.microban.com/about-microban/innovation-center or contact us today.
