Mrs. Zahra Shabani Chafjiri
,
McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
Ms. Ashley McGibbon
,
McGill University, Department of Medicine, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
Dr. Maniya Aghasibeig
,
National Research Council of Canada (NRC), Boucherville, QC, Canada
Mrs. Evelin Barbosa de Melo
,
McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
Dr. Geoffrey McKay
,
McGill University, Department of Medicine, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
Dr. Dao Nguyen
,
McGill University, Department of Medicine, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
Dr. Bruno Guerreiro
,
National Research Council of Canada, Boucherville, QC, Canada
Dr. Eric Irissou
,
National Research Council of Canada (NRC), Boucherville, QC, Canada
Prof. Stephen Yue
,
McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
Copper and its alloys are well-known for their antibacterial properties, making them ideal for coatings to prevent pathogen transmission. This study focuses on understanding how both microstructure and chemical composition influence the antipathogenic effectiveness of copper alloy powders. Zinc and Nickel were selected as alloying elements for their ability to enhance mechanical strength, corrosion resistance, and, in the case of Ni, provide a silvery finish. Three compositions were studied: Cu-6Ni, Cu-6Zn, and Cu-3Zn-3Ni, with copper content kept constant.
The alloys were produced using a Spex-8000D mechanical alloying mill with a ball-to-powder ratio of 10:1 in an argon atmosphere at room temperature. Various milling times (2 to 25 hours) were applied to explore how changes in microstructure impact antibacterial properties. Characterization was performed using Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray Diffraction. The powder size distribution was further analyzed with a laser diffraction particle size analyzer. The antimicrobial efficacy of the powders was tested by applying them to Tuffryn filters (HT Tuffryn®, VWR), inoculating with Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442 (1x105 CFU/filter), and determining cell viability following 60 minutes of exposure. The results aim to provide insight into developing copper alloy powders for high-touch surface coatings via cold spray.
