Introduction:
Stainless steel is a widely used alloy because of its corrosion-resistant and mechanical properties. But the viable SARS-CoV-2 can be detected on conventional stainless steel surface even after three days as it lacks the antiviral properties. This increases the possibility of virus transmission among the people coming in contact with the same surface. But what if this virus is destroyed in 3-6 h only? Now the question comes, is this even possible? If yes, then how? Let's seek the answers to all these questions.
The latest research conducted by the team of Prof. M.X. Huang in collaboration with Prof. L.L.M. Poon and his team at The University of Hong Kong reveals the answer to these valued questions. In their research article titled "Anti-pathogen stainless steel combating COVID-19", they shed a light on how they have developed anti-COVID-19 stainless steel which can destroy the virus in just 6 h and is also potential of inactivating the H1N1 influenza A virus and Escherichia coli.
Research:
The inorganic elements silver and copper possess antimicrobial properties and so they can combat a wide variety of bacteria and viruses with minimal toxicity to the animal cells. Pure Cu is effective against SARS-CoV-2 and H1N1 virus but it's not practically possible to replace all the stainless steel items in public places with pure Cu because it is costly and also susceptible to corrosion. The researchers used the Powder Metallurgy technology to examine if traditional stainless steel can be modified to anti-pathogenic and the stability of SARS-CoV-2, H1N1 and E.coli on the surface of these metals was investigated.
On experimentation, no considerable change in the viability of SARS-CoV-2 was observed on the surface of pure silver, SS-0.3Ag (0.3 wt% Ag) and SS-0.6Ag (0.6 wt% Ag). Pure Cu inactivates 99.99% virus in just 3 h and no viable virus was detected after 6 h. SS-1Cu (1 wt% Cu) and SS-5Cu (5 wt% Cu) were unable to exhibit any inhibitory effect against the virus even after 24 h, whereas no viable virus was detected on the surface of SS-10 Cu (10 wt% Cu) after 24 h. A significant decrease of 99.75% and 99.99% viable virus in 3 h and 6 h respectively was observed on the surface of SS-20Cu (20 wt% Cu). Similar inhibitory effects were noticed on the H1N1 virus. SS-20Cu was used in the lift buttons to signify their potential of preventing the transmission of viruses via surface touching.
Conclusion:
To conclude, the first stainless steel containing copper with long-term anti-pathogenic and anti-SARS-COV-2 properties was developed cost-effectively. This can surely prove beneficial for efficiently combating the current global pandemic and also other viruses in the future.
Reference:
L.T. Liu et al, Anti-pathogen stainless steel combating COVID-19, Chemical Engineering Journal (2021).
-By Aditi Singh
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