Abstract
With the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), disease prevention has become incredibly important. Consequently, mask and air-purifier use has increased. The filter is the core component of these items. However, most filter materials lack antimicrobial properties. Copper is a sustainable antimicrobial material. When copper is deposited onto the filter’s surface, the microorganisms that come into contact with it can be effectively inactivated. In this study, we used an oxygen ion beam with a controlled process temperature to treat filter surfaces with copper. This enabled a strong adhesion of at least 4 N/cm between the copper and the filter fibers without damaging them. Upon exposing the filter to bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 4352, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853) for one hour, a >99.99% removal rate was attained; when the filter was exposed to SARS-CoV-2 virus for one hour, it inactivated more than 99%. These beneficial properties minimize the risk of secondary infections, which are significantly more likely to occur when a conventional filter is replaced or removed.
Highlights
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), first discovered in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, has spread rapidly worldwide, raising widespread health concerns
We found that the coppercoated filter inactivated more than 99.99% of four examples of bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 4352, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853) and inactivated more than 99.8% of SARS-CoV-2
The surfaces of the filters were checked for changes to the filter fibers caused by the oxygen ion beam irradiation
Summary
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), first discovered in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, has spread rapidly worldwide, raising widespread health concerns. Ethanol-based disinfectants are the most commonly used sanitizers to treat humans, while chlorine-based and ammonium-based disinfectants are used for disinfecting living spaces [2,3] These disinfectants effectively remove SARS-CoV-2 and other microorganisms but should be reapplied after use. Hutasoit reported that 96% of SARS-CoV-2 viruses placed on copper-coated steel plates were inactivated within two hours; no viruses were inactivated after five hours of contact with uncoated stainless steel [12]. A study on SARS-CoV-2 inactivation as a function of the type of surface the virus contacts was conducted by Doremalen in 2020. While the polymer membrane can filter bacteria and viruses, the latter may remain on the membrane surface. We observed that the ion beam surface treatment was very effective in improving the adhesion between the copper and the filter fibers.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
