New material has potential to reduce the spread of Covid 19

Developing upon earlier work done with the Biomed and Bioengineering Lab at the University of Valencia, new research by the Additive Manufacturing of Functional Materials division details the creation of an antiviral copper-tungsten-silver alloy that kills Covid-19 in 5 hours.

A large quantity of countries has enforced restrictions in response to the identification and spread of the Omicron variant. Continued testing may show how this material can reduce or stop transmission of Covid 19 and the new variant. The Cobalt-Chromium-Molybdenum 3D printing material exhibited ‘potent antiviral activity,’ which is a substantial improvement over copper and silver materials, which are widely recognised for their antimicrobial capabilities.

Dr Arun Arjunan says that because “airborne droplets can remain suspended in the air for three hours, masks do offer protection from the transmission.”

“However, surfaces can sustain infectious viruses from a few hours to nine days depending on the surface material and morphology. Therefore, our latest publication proves L-PBF and Co-Cr-Mo could be adopted for antiviral mask filters and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning filtration systems for healthcare and general community settings.”