the present invention relates to a process for imparting anti - bacterial and anti - fungal properties to a polyurethane foam . dissolving the pyrithione salt in an alkanolamine which is miscible with a polyol , makes this dissolved pyrithione an ideal candidate for use as a antimicrobial additive in this application . prior use of pyrithiones in polyurethanes entailed using the powder form of zinc pyrithione . this was a dusty process as well as being difficult to disperse the pyrithione uniformly throughout the polyurethane foam . this invention overcomes both of these difficulties .