Antibacterial Efficacy of Wire Arc Sprayed Copper Coatings Against Various Pathogens

The antimicrobial effect of copper (Cu) as well as its potentiality to reduce healthcare-associated infections is well recognized. In this study, a twin wire arc spray gun has been used to produce antibacterial copper coatings on stainless-steel (316L) surfaces. The thickness of coating was 120 ± 30 μm in average. In parallel, series of coating formation simulations were made using Comsol Multiphysics. The coating morphology was examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and its structure determined by x-ray diffraction (XRD). Surface roughness measurements were carried out on as-sprayed and polished surfaces by using a 3-D Profilometer. The coating antibacterial efficacy has been investigated considering standard and clinically isolated cultures such as standard ATCC 25922 Escherichia coli (E. coli), standard ATCC 29213 Staphylococcus Aureus (Staph. Aureus), clinically isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The predictions of simulations matched with the monitored data with an error below 10%. The coatings exhibited excellent antibacterial properties for all the pathogen types used.