Keystone
x Active Surfaces®
Keystone is collaborating with Iris Ceramica Group to introduce Active Surfaces® technology to the UK medical sector. These ceramic surfaces offer antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-pollution properties, making them ideal for healthcare environments.
Working closely with Iris Ceramica to bring Active Surfaces® technology to the UK, to focus on its application in medical environments. Active Surfaces® are ceramic materials designed to improve hygiene and safety through their photocatalytic and antimicrobial properties. These surfaces actively eliminate bacteria, viruses—including SARS-CoV-2—and harmful pollutants, making them highly effective for hospitals, clinics, and laboratories.
By integrating this technology into UK healthcare infrastructure, Keystone is helping medical facilities meet stringent hygiene standards while reducing the risk of contamination. The surfaces also contribute to air purification, ensuring cleaner indoor environments. With UKAS-approved testing and compliance with ISO certifications, Keystone is positioning Active Surfaces® as a cutting-edge solution for infection control and sustainable healthcare design.
The 4 functions of ACTIVE SURFACES®
Anti-pollution action
By simply using the light and humidity in rooms, Active Surfaces® floors and walls permanently and continuously eliminate polluting molecules from the air, including the most toxic and dangerous ones.
Indoors, Active Surfaces® help fight numerous sources of pollution, for example by degrading all the VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in the air. When applied to external façades, it promotes the elimination of harmful molecules before they can penetrate rooms through windows or the air intakes of air conditioners installed outside buildings.
Antibacterial and antiviral, in addition to 99% effective, against Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2
The oxidation process induced by Active Surfaces® photocatalysis destroys bacteria which come into contact with the surface. From an antibacterial point of view, the presence of silver makes the ceramics active, even in the dark, against both common strains and those particularly harmful to human health such as antibiotic-resistant strains (MRSA).
Active Surfaces® also prevent the formation of biofilms. Recent ISO certifications confirm Active Surfaces® antiviral properties. Tests conducted on two particularly insidious and contagious viral strains, H1N1 influenza virus and Enterovirus 71, demonstrate over 99% efficacy against viruses. In addition, ACTIVE products’ anti-mold and anti-fungal properties are also certified. Active Surfaces® were the subject of a major study by the Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, and Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health at the University of Milan, to verify their antiviral properties against the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus (responsible for Covid-19). The research was carried out by Iris Ceramica Group's ACTIVE Research and Development Department in collaboration with the authoritative technical and scientific committee of the two departments at the University of Milan. The resulting data confirmed the astonishing ability of Active Surfaces® to eliminate 94% of SARS-CoV-2 after only 4 hours of exposure to low intensity UV light (natural daylight and traditional light bulbs even at low intensity).
Anti-odour action, removal of bad odours
Odour-causing molecules that come into contact with Active Surfaces® are degraded and destroyed, thus eliminating bad odours. The highly effective anti-odour action is fueled by light (photocatalysis), as well as LED lights.
Self-cleaning action
Thanks to the photocatalytic properties of Active Surfaces®, dirt adheres less to the surface, making it easier to remove, also through its anti-mold and anti-fungal properties.
Major benefits are achieved on external facades: a large amount of dust and dirt are removed simply by rainwater, thus reducing the high maintenance and restoration costs associated with traditional external walls. Indoors, the self-cleaning effectiveness of the surfaces allows one to reduce the use of detergents that can be aggressive and toxic, as well as polluting and in any case expensive.