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| Abstract No.: |
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Scheduled at:
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Monday, May 03, 2010, Moor Room 4:40 PM
Biomedical Coatings
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| Title: |
Cold spray copper antimicrobial coatings
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| Authors: |
Victor Champagne / US Army Research Laboratory, MD
Matthew Trexler*/ U.S.Army Research Laboratory, USA
Dennis Helfritch/ U.S.Army Research Laboratory, USA
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| Abstract: |
Numerous studies have proven that copper kills certain disease-causing bacteria found in hospital rooms and in the food industry, such as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)and Escherichia coli 0157. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently certified various copper alloys as having legal authority to make public health claims associated with its ability to kill these bacteria. In response to these findings, the food and medical industries are investigating materials processing methods for introducing copper alloys to combat the spread of bacterial infections and foodborne diseases. One general application that has been identified is for the use of copper alloys on 'touch' surfaces which are those that are frequently in human contact, such as door knobs, light switches, faucets, bed rails,food preparation areas and other hardware. This paper discusses the use of cold spray technology as a means of providing copper coatings that have superior antimicrobial properties as compared to those obtained from thermal spray copper coatings. Efficacy test results of cold spray copper coatings will be presented and compared to those produced by thermal spray methods. A discussion of the mechanisms involved with the ability of copper to kill microorganisms will be presented and correlated to the efficacy test results of this study. It appears that Cu+2 has the potential to disrupt cell function making copper a cost effective material to help prevent the spread of harmful pathogens.
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