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From Home Furnishing Business
JBS Couros Introduces Antiviral Leather
June 10,
2021 by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry 
Brazilian leather supplier JBS Couros has announced the launch of JBS V-Block technology, which inactivates the SARS-Cov-2 virus, the cause of Covid-19. At processing stage, a silver microparticle additive is added to the leather coating providing it with antiviral qualities.
"Our leather has undergone scientific tests that prove the inactivation of the SARS-Cov-2 virus. The application of this new technology sets a new standard in leather production. It not only inactivates the spread of viruses including Sars-Cov-2, the virus which causes Covid-19, but assists in the preservation of the material making it ideal for use in surfaces that are used regularly or come into contact with a number of people meaning there is potential increased exposure to Covid and other viruses, such as furniture, seating and vehicle steering wheels or items such as clothing, bags and wallets,” said Guilherme Motta, president of JBS Couros.
The company already supplies high-quality, sustainably produced leather to key players in the automotive, furniture and upholstery markets in Asia, Europe, and North America, in addition to major manufacturers of footwear and leather goods in Asia and Europe. The JBS V-Block leather is available on demand globally.
In tests conducted in the level 3 biosafety laboratory (NB3) of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo (ICB-USP), the material showed 99% inactivation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in 30 minutes from contact with viral particles.
"The use of this technology increases the contact surface of silver and its prominence in the leather, enabling antiviral action," said researcher Lucio Freitas, who participated in the tests of the new material. The tests were made in accordance with the international standard ISO 21702, which establishes the most appropriate methods to detect antiviral activity in plastics and non-poral surfaces.
The microparticles are constructed from the synthesis of silver salts - an element chosen for their recognized antiviral action - and stabilized by synthesis technology. "Silver microparticles are able to inactivate the virus by two mechanisms: in its membrane - where they break this external coating of the virus and inactivate its entry into the host cells and, in RNA (or DNA), where they oxidize the genetic material of the exposed virus, inactivating its multiplication capacity," said Daniel Minozzi, materials scientist and founder and director of Nanox, a company specializing in new materials and antimicrobials that developed the additive used by JBS Couros.
"We have worked with Nanox and USP to find the best conditions for the application of the additive, ensuring use of the appropriate equipment and regulations. We also carefully tested the concentrations and application points of the JBS V-Block technology which also contributed to our success in the creation of an antiviral leather," added Motta.