Clariant’s dual-action anti-mosquito masterbatch

Clariant’s CESA® Masterbatches are used in insecticide-treated nets. These incorporate powerful insecticide plus insect growth regulator, a combination essential to fight against resistant mosquitos.

What makes the Clariant technology special is the way in which the insecticides are blended into the masterbatch, allowing a permanent but slow release to the surface — just enough to kill any mosquito by contact.

LLIN are made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) monofilaments. The masterbatch is introduced into the HDPE during extrusion of the fibers. Orientation of the PE molecules binds the precise amount of insecticide inside each filament before they are knitted into nets. Once in use, and over the three year service life of the LLIN, small amounts of the active ingredients migrate to the surface of the fibers so that mosquitos that land on them are immediately affected. Because the active ingredients are tightly bound on a molecular level inside each monofilament, the LLIN nets can be washed up to 25 times with no loss of efficacy.

DCT introduced its first LLIN, dubbed the Royal Sentry®, in 2008 and earlier this year, it launched Royal Sentry 2.0. Both are pyrethroid-only nets. With the introduction of Royal Guard LLIN, the company now offers three different mosquito control nets, all of which take advantage of the innovative Clariant masterbatch technology.

The new CESA-antimosquito masterbatches have qualified for the Clariant EcoTain® label, which is applied to products that offer outstanding sustainability advantages. EcoTain-designated products undergo a systematic, in-depth screening process using 36 criteria in all three sustainability dimensions: social, environmental and economic. EcoTain products significantly exceed sustainability market standards, have best-in-class performance and contribute overall to sustainability efforts of the company and its customers.