Introduction

Coatings play a pivotal role in extending the life of products and improving aesthetics, yet the total scope of their benefits are often hard to communicate effectively to consumers. To combat this issue, Microban International developed AkoTech, a multifunctional coating platform that marries advanced surface protection technologies with the brand equity of Microban, the most recognized name in product protection.

The Missed Opportunity in Coatings

Despite significant technological advancements, many coating formulations remain underleveraged because their benefits, such as abrasion resistance or chemical durability, are not clearly understood by consumers. At the same time, product development cycles are growing longer, and manufacturers are under pressure to reduce waste, lower costs and meet sustainability goals. There’s a critical need for coating solutions that can streamline formulation, offer modular flexibility and provide value-added features that are both visible and meaningful to end users.

A Multifunctional Solution

AkoTech is designed to solve these challenges by creating a platform that combines customizable surface protection with brand-driven market value. At its core, AkoTech utilizes advanced polymer chemistry and surface engineering to build tailored coating systems that deliver performance, durability and consumer-trusted protection. Many end users may not understand the differences between various levels of scratch resistance, but by combining multiple surface protection functionalities with antimicrobial and odor-control capabilities from Microban, AkoTech instantly signals long-lasting protection and freshness—qualities that resonate far more than technical jargon.

This platform is adaptable across numerous industries including flooring, furniture, paints and coatings, nonwovens and packaging. Formulators will first select consumer-benefit features like abrasion resistance, chemical repellency or UV stability. Then, through the power of the Microban brand, they will incorporate the appropriate branding and messaging to align with these performance properties. Whether it’s a slip-resistant floor coating or a mildew-resistant nonwoven, AkoTech transforms coatings into a vehicle for both function and form. With AkoTech, formulators, OEMs and brands gain a powerful tool to differentiate their products while ensuring they are protected for the long haul.

Bringing Performance to the Surface

AkoTech provides a simplified and scalable approach to high-performance coatings, designed with the formulator, the manufacturer and the end-user in mind. The platform offers a library of starting point formulations tailored for different substrates, performance requirements and application methods. These starting-point formulations serve as reliable baselines for further customization, reducing R&D time and increasing speed to market. Formulators can quickly build solutions by selecting base formulations aligned to substrate type, application method or desired features like anti-fingerprint or hydrophobicity. Each starting point is carefully engineered to be modular, supporting custom colorants, additives and branding elements, and allowing maximum creative flexibility.

Manufacturers can benefit from AkoTech’s ready-to-use coatings or concentrate formulas, allowing easy integration into production environments regardless of size or complexity. Ready-to-use options eliminate the need for additional weighing, mixing and dispersion, making them ideal for fast-paced environments or smaller batch operations. On the other hand, concentrates provide scalability and flexibility for larger manufacturers or global supply chains that benefit from localized dilution and final blending. This dual-format offering ensures that AkoTech can be adopted seamlessly into existing manufacturing lines with minimal disruption.

By combining simplified formulation and flexible manufacturing options, AkoTech does the groundwork for adopting advanced coating technologies, allowing formulators to work more efficiently with a reduced trial-and-error cycle. This allows manufacturers to ramp up production without needing specialized equipment or extensive process modifications, and this operational efficiency enables brands to respond more quickly to market trends and consumer demands.

However, AkoTech’s benefits do not stop at technical performance. Commercial teams can now collaborate more closely with product development teams to create coatings that embody the brand’s messaging while meeting technical requirements.  Through AkoTech, partners gain access to Microban’s distinctive ingredient branding approach complemented by comprehensive support across regulatory, technical and marketing functions to help ensure a successful product launch. The result is a distinctive product whose presence is elevated by the power of Microban at the point-of-sale and beyond.

Results

To illustrate the performance of the AkoTech platform, we have evaluated examples of each product offering: a starting point formula, a ready-to-use coating and a concentrate. Each was assessed for key technical attributes including physical durability, chemical resistance, aesthetic performance and antimicrobial or antifungal properties. The following data sets illustrate the versatility and efficacy of the AkoTech platform across these formats.

Starting Point Formula
This starting point formula, known as CTR-1001, is an extremely durable water-based coating for applications such as concrete, wood, glass and plastic. It is ideal for clearcoat applications and provides excellent hardness, adhesion and chemical resistance.


               
                      
Along with these physical properties, the coating also shows excellent antimicrobial performance against bacteria, mold and mildew.

Ready-to-Use Coatings

This ready-to use coating known as CTR-1002 is a patent pending technology that is clear and thin (< 1 micron) with excellent water and oil repellency. CTR-1002 provides up to 99.99% reduction of bacteria and fungus.



This new formulation is designed to be applied to glass, ceramic and metal substrates. CTR-1002’s omniphobicity makes substrates easier to clean by preventing streaking caused by water and/or residues left behind by oils.

 

Concentrate Formulation

Known as CTR-1003, this award-winning technology creates a durable, waterproof barrier on coated surfaces. It offers flexibility and antimicrobial properties, with tests showing significant reductions in bacterial, mold and mildew growth. This not only improves the longevity of cellulosic fibers, blends and synthetics, such as filtration media and nonwovens, but also reduces unpleasant odors caused by microbial activity. The versatility of this technology makes it suitable for a wide range of industries. In residential and industrial HVAC systems, it can enhance air quality and system longevity. In the automotive industry, it can protect components from water damage and microbial growth.

Discussion

These results collectively showcase AkoTech’s strength as a multifunctional coating platform and are just a few from the rapidly growing portfolio of coatings that AkoTech has to offer. Each formulation format offers tailored performance benefits while maintaining the core value proposition: performance, branding and ease of integration across markets.
Conclusion

Ultimately, AkoTech bridges the gap between formulation science and brand strategy, offering a complete platform that brings performance to the surface both literally and figuratively. From R&D to production to the retail shelf, AkoTech simplifies each step of the commercialization journey. It empowers formulators to innovate faster, manufacturers to scale easier, and brands to stand out with distinctive, high-performance products. With AkoTech, what was once a complex, segmented process becomes an integrated pathway to market success.