Dammam-based Saudi Industrial Paints Company (Sipco) has launched a new coating for sterile areas called Steracryl, which is said to have an attractive look, but is a durable performer under the toughest of conditions.

Elaborating on the growing need for sterile paints and coatings, Mansour Ali from Sipco's marketing department says: "Micro-organisms surround our daily lives. You cannot see them, but they are there, throughout our atmosphere, living, growing and multiplying by millions."

He continues: "The huge growth of our manufacturing industries, since the Industrial Revolution, has severely polluted the atmosphere, making it an ideal breeding ground for micro-organisms, otherwise known as bacteria or viruses.

"Our bodies are able to cope with certain strains of bacteria through their immune systems. However, new strains develop which are often resistant to our immune system. The pharmaceutical industry is continuously developing drugs to combat diseases caused by the never increasing growth in bacteria and viruses.

"To help counter this threat in areas that demand strict sanitation and hygiene, Sipco has developed, through its hi-tech research and development laboratories, a water-borne acrylic coating called Steracryl, for use on the interiors of buildings to combat bacteria and viruses, in much the same way as drugs support our bodies in their fight against bacteria."

Steracryl, when applied to internal surfaces, will not allow bacteria to settle, grow or multiply, thus preventing further dispersion of micro-organism into the atmosphere, says Sipco.

The coating, according to Sipco, contains a unique blend of special biocides and fungicides, which will destroy the most harmful of bacteria, including escherichia coli, straphylococcus aureus, pseudomonas aeruginose, candida albicans and asperqillus SPP (wild strain), making it possible to maintain a sterile surface at an economical cost.

Steracryl is particularly suitable for hospitals, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and processing plants, any area where a sterile environment is of the uppermost importance, and where low-odour applications are required, according to the manufacturer.

The coating is available in a wide range of attractive colours, with a mid-sheen finish for good washability, and is sold together with Sterite as a complete package of sterile coatings systems.

"Sterite, with the same anti-bacterial properties as Steracryl, is based upon the toughest of epoxy resins, and is used in severe conditions, where daily washing-down is in practice, and in such places as operating theatres and laboratories."

Established in 1982, Sipco one of the largest Saudi-owned manufacturers of high-quality paints, sealants, and adhesives in the Kingdom. It was bought by AI-Muhaidib and Sons Group of Companies in 1992.

Since its foundation, Sipco has grown with each major challenge, becoming one of the foremost suppliers of technologically-advanced surface coatings and treatments in the Kingdom.

Its range of products is one of the largest in the Middle East, and many are highly specialised with exclusive international licences from well-known companies such as Devoe Coatings of the US, and Akzo Nobel of the Netherlands, Fepyr of Spain, and Fractalis of Italy.

Sipco's Dammam complex, which includes a production facility and head office, makes the company one of the largest and most diverse Saudi-owned paint manufacturers.

From the plant, Sipco produces a comprehensive range of protective paints and finishes, industrial coatings, decorative coatings, adhesives, sealants, flexo graphic inks, coil and can coatings.

The products are then distributed through a satellite of warehouses in Riyadh, Jeddah and Abha.

Following a policy of clearly identifying its markets, Sipco currently serves Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria, the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Dubai and Jordan, and it also has a manufacturing facility in Egypt.