Static and Dynamic Assessments of a Sulfur-Triglyceride Composite for Antimicrobial Surface Applications

Over 80 MT of elemental sulfur, a byproduct of fossil fuel desulfurization, are generated annually. This has spurred the development of high sulfur content materials (HSMs) via inverse vulcanization as a productive pathway towards sulfur utilization. In this study, we evaluate the antimicrobial performance of SunBG₉₀, an HSM made from brown grease and sulfur, as tiles or infused into fabric squares. The static antimicrobial activity of SunBG₉₀ tiles was assessed, revealing excellent efficacy against Gram-positive bacteria, with reductions of 96.84% for Staphylococcus aureus and 91.52% for Listeria monocytogenes. The tiles also exhibited strong antifungal activity, reducing Candida auris by 96.20% and mold (fumigatus) by 83.77%. In contrast, efficacy against Gram-negative bacteria was more variable, with moderate reductions for Escherichia coli (61.10%) and Salmonella enteritidis (62.15%), lower activity against Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella typhi, and no effect on Clostridium perfringens. Under dynamic conditions, SunBG₉₀-infused fabrics achieved a near-complete inhibition of L. monocytogenes (99.91%) and high reduction of E. coli (98.49%), along with a 96.24% inhibition of Candida auris. These results highlight the potential and limitations of SunBG₉₀ for antimicrobial applications, emphasizing the need for further optimization to achieve consistent broad-spectrum activity.