Antibacterial Efficacy of Cold-Sprayed Copper Coatings against Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative .

Contact surfaces have been identified as one of the main routes for pathogen transmission. The efficacy to kill both viruses and bacteria on touch surfaces is critical to reducing the rampant spread of harmful pathogens. Copper is one such material that has been traditionally used for its antimicrobial properties.

Sars-CoV-2 (COVID-19) inactivation capability of copper-coated touch surface fabricated by cold-spray technology.

In this work, cold-spray technique was employed for rapid coating of copper on in-use steel parts. The primary intention was to alleviate the tendency of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus to linger longer on touch surfaces that attract high-to-medium volume human contact, such as the push plates used in publicly accessed buildings and hospitals. The viricidal activity test revealed that 96% of the virus was inactivated within 2-hrs, which was substantially shorter than the time required for stainless steel to inactivate the virus to the same level.