Silver-based inorganic antimicrobial agent, method for preparing the same and antimicrobial product

A silver-based inorganic antimicrobial agent represented by Formula (1) below containing zirconium pyrophosphate (ZrP2O7) wherein, in the powder X-ray diffraction pattern, a relative intensity of an X-ray diffraction peak at 2θ=21.3° to 21.5° is 5 to 50, based on 100 of an X-ray diffraction peak intensity at 2θ=20.0° to 20.2°:

• AgaMbZrcHfd(PO4)3.nH2O (1)
• wherein M is at least one ion selected from an alkali metal ion, an ammonium ion, a hydrogen ion and an oxonium ion,
• a, b, c and d are positive numbers satisfying 1.75<(c+d)<2.2 and a+b+4(c+d)=9, and
• n is 2 or less.

A method for producing the silver-based inorganic antimicrobial agent represented by Formula (1) below containing zirconium pyrophosphate (ZrP2O7):

• AgaMbZrcHfd(PO4)3.nH2O (1)
• wherein M is at least one ion selected from an alkali metal ion, an ammonium ion, a hydrogen ion and an oxonium ion,
• a, b, c and d are positive numbers satisfying 1.75<(c+d)<2.2 and a+b+4(c+d)=9, and
• n is 2 or less,
• comprising:
• a step of obtaining a silver-based inorganic antimicrobial agent represented by Formula (1) by wet-synthesis or hydrothermal synthesis, and
• a step of thermally decomposing the antimicrobial agent at 800° C. to 1,100° C.,
• wherein the silver-based inorganic antimicrobial agent has an electrical conductivity of 15 μS to 570 μS when suspended in water, and
• wherein the silver-based inorganic antimicrobial agent has a bulk specific gravity before thermal decomposition of 0.80 to 2.00 (g/ml).