Covid-19 : what sustainable innovations in the face of microbiological risks ? – Actu Environnement
In this second section devoted to eco-responsible technologies to prevent the proliferation of microbiological pathogens, Actu-Environnement presents leads on new bactericidal and virucidal materials.
Copper is a naturally biocidal metal (bactericidal and virucidal). However, it is impossible, given the price of this metal, to imagine producing all door handles, handrails, grab bars, faucets and all flat surfaces with solid copper. Taking advantage of the intrinsic qualities of this metal while limiting the volume used is therefore the opportunity offered by a coating developed a few years ago by the company MetalSkin Technologies, which specializes in cold metallization.
This coating is an alloy (phosphorus and copper) formulated with various binders, to allow its application on multiple supports (plastics, metals…), like a paint that polymerizes on drying. This coating contains copper in an already oxidized form, which makes it effective in terms of bactericide, as can be solid copper, but at a cost 5 to 20 times less. This amount depends on the mode of application, because it can be applied a posteriori on already existing elements, but is all the more economically interesting when it is integrated into a production line, as is already the case for products from the medical world.
MetalSkin’s development, which was initially focused on the medical sector, which strives to combat the risk of nosocomial infections on a daily basis, could, in light of this year’s health news, see a very clear expansion in applications. The head of MetalSkin Technologies, Stéphane Penari, specifies that tests will soon be carried out on Covid-19 to guarantee the effectiveness of the coating on this coronavirus, but that this is very likely since the virucidal activity of copper on Covid-19 has already been confirmed.
