A cost-effective and practical antimicrobial glaze system and glazing process is disclosed herein. The antimicrobial glaze/enamel may comprise at least two layers: a base layer and a top layer. The base layer may contain a typical or normal glaze widely used in sanitary ware, having a low level of zinc oxide. The base layer glaze may be directly sprayed on the clay body surface. A thin top glaze layer is sprayed on top of the base glaze layer and the top layer may contain a high level of zinc oxide.

A method for manufacturing antimicrobial glass includes the steps of: a) providing a glass with alkali metal ions; b) placing the glass in a first oven to perform semi-physical strengthening and dealkalization; and c) placing the glass in a second oven to perform chemical strengthening.

An antimicrobial article having a substrate, and a coating on a surface of the substrate. The coating includes a silver-containing alkali silicate. The antimicrobial article has an antimicrobial efficacy of greater than or equal to about 90.0% according to EPA Test Method for Efficacy of Copper Alloy Surfaces as a Sanitizer. The coating may further include at least one of a boron-containing compound and an aluminum-containing compound. A method for forming antimicrobial articles includes coating a substrate with a mixture comprising an alkali silicate; curing the coating at a temperature from greater than or equal to about 300 C. to less than or equal to about 620 C. for a duration of greater than or equal to about 15 minutes to less than or equal to about 120 minutes; and contacting the coating with an antimicrobial medium comprising silver nitrate and an alkali nitrate.

A ceramic article in the form of a sanitary, culinary or laboratory article, comprising a ceramic base body and also a fired glaze applied on said base body, the fired glaze comprising SiO2 at 45-55 mass %, Al2O3 at 6-12 mass %, ZnO at 15-35 mass %, and additionally PbO at 0.1-15 mass % and/or CuO at 0.025-2 mass % and/or Bi2O3 at 0.25-7 mass %.

A coating composition may include a glass frit including Phosphorus Oxide (P.sub.2O.sub.5), Silicon Oxide (SiO.sub.2), Boron Oxide (B.sub.2O.sub.3), a group I-based metal oxide, Barium Oxide (BaO), Sodium Fluoride (NaF), Titanium Oxide (TiO2), Stannous Oxide (SnO), Zinc Oxide (ZnO), and an adhesion enhancement component. The P.sub.2O.sub.5 may be included by about 40 wt % to about 55 wt % based on a total weight of the glass frit. The SiO.sub.2 may be included by about 5 wt % to about 15 wt % based on the total weight of the glass frit. The B.sub.2O.sub.3 may be included by about 5 wt % to about 10 wt % based on the total weight of the glass frit. The group I-based metal oxide may be included by about 3 wt % to about 10 wt % based on the total weight of the glass frit. The ZnO may be included by about 10 wt % to about 25 wt % based on the total weight of the glass frit, and the TiO.sub.2 may be included by about 0.1 wt % to about 5 wt % based on the total weight of the glass frit.

The present invention discloses an antibacterial ceramic tile and a preparation method thereof. The method comprises applying an antibacterial protective glaze containing Ulan tea-quartz on the surface of a green body, and then firing to obtain an antibacterial ceramic tile. The mass percentage of Ulan tea-quartz to the antibacterial protective glaze is 35% to 45%. Controlling the mass percentage content of Ulan tea-quartz to the antibacterial protective glaze within the aforementioned range not only can achieve an excellent antibacterial property, but also avoids excessive glossiness, rough texture, or poor flatness of the ceramic glaze surface.

A method of making a ceramic glaze formulation having an antimicrobial property for use with a ceramic article. The method comprises fritting an antimicrobial formulation in a flux frit, providing least one unfritted antimicrobial component, providing a silver carrier in a glass matrix, and combining the flux frit, the at least one unfritted component, and the silver carrier in the glass matrix to form the ceramic glaze formulation. The silver carrier is combined at an addition rate based on a dry weight basis of the ceramic glaze formulation. A ceramic glaze additive formulation and ceramic glazed article are also provided.

A color-stable, antimicrobial glass powder obtained by partial ion exchange at a temperature of 300 C. to 350 C. and an exchange time of 1 to 120 minutes, is formed of a mixture of porous glass particles having micropores and macropores made of borosilicate glass continuously foamed by extrusion having a Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 content <0.2 wt %, in which the obtained glass foam is subsequently comminuted by dry grinding to average particle sizes of 1.0 to 8.0 m. The mixture includes color stabilizers containing 0.1% to 0.2% of ammonium ions and antimicrobial metal ions from dissolved metal salts, wherein the metal ions may be silver and/or zinc and/or copper ions. A method for the production of a color-stable, antimicrobial glass powder and applications for using the color-stable, antimicrobial glass powder are also provided.

Described herein are various antimicrobial glass articles that have improved resistance to discoloration when exposed to harsh conditions. The improved antimicrobial glass articles described herein generally include a glass substrate that has a low concentration of nonbridging oxygen atoms, a compressive stress layer and an antimicrobial silver-containing region that each extend inward from a surface of the glass substrate to a specific depth, such that the glass article experiences little-to-no discoloration when exposed to harsh conditions. Methods of making and using the glass articles are also described.

Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to coated articles including noble metal (e.g., Ag) and polymeric hydrogenated diamond like carbon (DLC) (e.g., a-C:H, a-C:H:O) composite material having antibacterial and photocatalytic properties, and/or methods of making the same. A glass substrate supports a buffer layer, a matrix comprising the noble metal and DLC, a proton-conducting layer that may comprising zirconium oxide in certain example embodiments, and a layer comprising titanium oxide. The layer comprising titanium oxide may be photocatalytic and optionally may further include carbon and/or nitrogen. The proton-conducting layer may facilitate the creation of electron-hole pairs and, in turn, promote the antibacterial properties of the coated article. The morphology of the layer comprising titanium oxide and/or channels formed therein may enable Ag ions produced from matrix to migrate therethrough.