Antipathogenic coatings for antibiotics reduction in broiler farming

Presently, there is no experience in producing antipathogenic surfaces in broiler farming. Instead, current drinking nipples for the livestock are made of stainless steel alloys, which are not quite resistant against viruses, bacteria and fungi. As a result, the use of antibiotics in broiler farming is not only increased, but the spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens in the food industry is also promoted. This poses a serious health risk for humans and animals. Therefore, several metal coatings (Cu-, Ag-alloys) applied by thermal spraying are becoming the focus of attention due to their high antipathogenic effect and their resistance against abrasion.

Preliminary own test results demonstrated that arc-sprayed copper alloy surfaces reduced the pathogen load significantly. Thus, in the current work, two typical copper based alloys are arc-sprayed due to the combination of antipathogenic effects, easy process handling and customizable coating properties. Previous attempts for other applications and further literature revealed that plasma post-treatment by an electric arc can increase the effectiveness due to surface enlargement, cleaning, and electrochemical activation. Thus, plasma post-treatment is used to increase the antipathogenic effectivity of the copper based coatings. Further investigations regard the resistance against abrasion, chemical acid, hardness and residual stresses.