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    公开号:ES2895757A2
    申请号:ES202130412
    申请日:2021-05-07
    公开日:2022-02-22
    发明作者:Landa Blanca Parga；García Paula Luz Aillón
    申请人:Universidad Politecnica de Madrid；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    [0004] TECHNICAL SECTOR
    [0006] The invention is based on the field of electroplating and its application, in particular, in the health and service technical sector. Specifically, it refers to an electrochemical copper electrodeposition process to provide biocidal and/or antiviral properties to any metal-based substrate that lacks said properties.
    [0008] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
    [0010] Hospitals, health centers, nursing homes, day centers and the like are buildings intended for the care of people with different pathologies or the care of the elderly who, in many cases, suffer from infections caused by various types of germs: bacteria, fungi, yeasts or viruses. To fulfill their function, these buildings require specifically sanitary equipment and furniture (stretchers, beds, droppers, armrests for passenger seats, railings for rehabilitation, etc.) and other architectural equipment (handrails, switches, door handles, hangers, handles). of furniture, elevator buttons, taps, etc.) which are manufactured in many cases in stainless steel, in others, in carbon steel with different finishes (nickel-plated, chrome-plated, painted or with a coating of a polymeric material of different colors) and, in some cases, in aluminum. There is also the possibility that in a hospital the beds and other elements are made of plastic material: PVC, ABS, polyethylene, etc. However, the process object of the present invention is aimed at the treatment of metal-based substrates.
    [0012] As the users of these buildings are sick or elderly people who, in many cases, suffer from different types of infections, the materials of the construction elements, equipment and furniture acquire great relevance because they play an essential role in the healthiness of the hospital environment and, therefore, in contagions.
    [0013] In 2001, the American microbiologist Philip Tierno published that the germs that make the main users of these buildings sick are transmitted in the hospital environment in 80% of cases by contact, that is, through the contact surfaces of the materials (Tierno, PM “The secret life of germs: What they are, why we need them, and how we can protect ourselves against them”, 2001). Indeed, it is common for a person with an infection or healthcare personnel wearing gloves to touch a light switch, a bed rail, elevator buttons, a handrail, etc., leaving germs deposited on said contact surfaces. In this way, when a second person touches these surfaces, the germs that had been deposited there are transmitted by contact to the second person.
    [0015] There are other cases. For example, a person suffering from an infection that is transmitted by droplets when sneezing transfers the germs to the air and these finally, due to gravity, end up being deposited on other contact surfaces (for example on tables) or on the floor, starting a possible new infection. chain of contagion by contact. Added to this problem is another that is not given the necessary attention today: gloves and, in general, the PPE of health personnel also act as fomites that transmit germs by contact through contact surfaces.
    [0017] To curb this type of transmission of germs and avoid nosocomial infections, there are general recommendations and precautions (Lupión, C. et al., 2014, “Measures to prevent the transmission of microorganisms among hospitalized patients. Hand hygiene”, Infectious diseases and microbiology clinic, 32(9), 603-609), although each hospital has its own protocols with prevention measures, as well as cleaning and disinfection. The goal of all of them is to prevent germs from accumulating and the germ load from increasing.
    [0018] However, such prevention measures do not take into account the important role played by the biocidal and antiviral properties of the materials, that is, the biocidal properties of the contact surfaces on which germs are deposited, transmitting them.
    [0020] For this reason, despite the prevention, cleaning and disinfection measures being followed to a greater or lesser extent, nosocomial infections occur today. Note that the prevalence or percentage of nosocomial infections in Spanish hospitals in some cases it reaches 25% (in Ceuta it reaches 37, according to data from EPINE, 2019). This means that if the prevalence is 25%, one in four patients admitted to hospital (in Ceuta, one in two or three) contracts a hospital infection, which is added to the pathology for which the patient was admitted, with all the moral and economic cost that this entails.
    [0022] Tierno's discovery, however, has not been assimilated in the field of Architecture or Engineering and today the biological properties of materials are not studied in Architecture Schools. Therefore, these properties are not taken into account when selecting the materials in the projects of hospitals or other health buildings, nor when selecting the materials for their equipment or furniture. Nor are these properties explained in the Schools of Engineering, so they are not considered in the design of industrial facilities (for example, food) or in the design project of buses or other vehicles for public transport. The Technical Building Code (CTE) does not include them in the health chapter nor does it recommend them in the hospital project. In other words, the biocidal or antiviral nature of a material is not taken into account as a design criterion for these buildings.
    [0024] The regulations in force in other engineering fields also do not include the use of materials with biocidal properties as a design criterion, nor, specifically, copper to reduce the load of germs in projects of artifacts, installations or devices for the public service (buses, -hospital, hospital ships, trains, subways, etc.)
    [0026] The proven fact, however, is that on the contact surfaces of current equipment made of stainless steel, chromed or painted carbon steel, aluminum or plastics, the germs that are deposited by contact or by droplets not only live or, in the case of Viruses are stable for times that can reach several days, but also reproduce in a greater or lesser time depending on humidity and temperature conditions. The germ load on such materials either remains stable for several days or increases over time. In particular, the most profusely selected material in hospitals is AISI 304 stainless steel for its aesthetic appearance and because it appears clean to the naked eye. However, bacteria and other microorganisms cannot be seen with the naked eye and in AISI 304, which is not biocidal, the bacteria remain for several days.
    [0027] This phenomenon tries to be avoided as has already been referred to by the disinfection and cleaning protocols. However, in a hospital it is cleaned every 24 hours, although a disinfection procedure is applied every time there is a change of patient in a room (Lupión, C. et al., 2014, “Prevention measures for the transmission of microorganisms among hospitalized patients. Hand hygiene", Infectious diseases and clinical microbiology, 32(9), 603-609) it is a fact that they do not manage to eliminate all the germs deposited on the equipment, furniture and auxiliary material (Schmidt, MG et al. , 2012, “Sustained reduction of microbial burden on common hospital surfaces through introduction of copper", Journal of clinical microbiology, 50(7), 2217-2223). If so, there would be no nosocomial infections. The data collected in EPINE proves that they are produced (https://epine.es/api/documentopublico/2019%20EPINE%20Informe%20Espa%C3%B1a%2027112019.pdf/reports-esp).
    [0028] In this regard, an important drawback of AISI 304 is that the cleaning protocol recommended for hospitals is very expensive.
    [0030] From the foregoing, it can be deduced that in hospitals, health centers, geriatric residences and, also, in other areas of the service sector (education, transport, public services, etc.) it is of the utmost interest to use materials with biocidal and antiviral properties because, due to their Their very nature eliminates the germs that have been deposited on the contact surfaces of said premises and/or facilities, continuously, and without consuming labor or energy; that is, they prevent the creation of reservoirs of germs and, therefore, significantly reduce nosocomial infections.
    [0032] The use of materials with biocidal and antiviral properties is, therefore, a passive protection measure that, together with the appropriate cleaning protocols, will make it possible to achieve and maintain a hospital environment free of germs.
    [0034] To this it should be added that the cleaning products that are currently used contain biocidal chemical substances that can harm human health and the environment. In fact, it is considered that one of the causes of the rise in resistance to antibiotics on which we depend to combat bacterial infectious diseases is precisely the constant exposure to antibacterial and biocidal products in cleaning products. .
    [0035] To the lack of knowledge that exists about the biocidal properties of these materials, another drawback must be added that derives from the research initiated by microbiologists a few years ago: the price of the proposed solutions.
    [0037] Indeed, for a few years some microbiologists have been proposing the use of copper in hospital furniture to prevent nosocomial infections. The known proposals can be classified into the following:
    [0039] 1. use of solid copper elements: Prof. Schmidt in the USA directs a research project financed by the Navy in which three hospitals have collaborated. In this project, the following elements have been replaced with solid copper pieces: IV poles/droppers, patient tables, nurse call buttons, computer mice and vital record devices;
    [0041] 2. use of copper plates or sheets of small thickness (0.5 to 1 mm) as supplements that are superimposed on bed rails or passenger armrests. This method has also been used in the US by Dr. Schmidt's research team and was also tested at the clinic of the University of Navarra in Pamplona; 3
    [0043] 3. Use of 50 micron thick self-adhesive copper sheets. This method was tested for five weeks at the University Hospital of Ceuta by Paula Aillón (Aillón P, et al., 2017, "Materials and innovation in healthcare architecture: copper, antibacterial barrier for healthcare spaces", Anales de Edificación 3(3) :55-61) The identical method has been used permanently in Chile in pediatric ICUs by the team of Dr. Tamara Viviani.
    [0045] However, the drawbacks of the above solutions are as follows:
    [0047] 1. Solid copper has a much higher price than carbon steel (it can be multiplied by up to fifteen depending on the quality of the steel) and, under current conditions, the replacement of certain construction elements of an ICU or other rooms by solid copper elements as proposed in Schmidt, MG et al., 2012, “Sustained reduction of micmbial burden on common hospital surfaces thmugh induction of copper. Journal of clinical microbiology", 50(7), 2217-2223, is prohibitive for an average hospital. When it comes to equipment, the price of a copper dripper can be up to seven times that of a chrome-plated carbon steel dripper. .
    [0049] If it were equipment for the transport sector, solid copper (density 8.96 g/cm3) is much heavier than aluminum (density 2.70 g/cm3) and also heavier than iron-based alloys, for example, carbon steel. carbon (density 7.84 g/cm3) or galvanized steel (density 7.90 g/m3). For this reason, the substitution of metallic elements for solid copper, in addition to considerably increasing costs, is also not feasible from an energy point of view.
    [0051] Additionally, in the case of other public services, the problem once again with the use of solid copper is the economic cost associated with it.
    [0053] Regarding the use of 0.5 to 1 mm thick copper sheets as supplements, the superimposition of thin copper sheets on bed rails has been tested at the University of Navarra Clinic with dismal results. The team that proposed and implemented this solution forgot that the biocidal properties of copper are just as important as its mechanical properties and that, for this application, a soft, non-crisp copper is required (Parga, B., "Report on sheet metal supplements of copper installed in bed rails of the Clinic of the University of Navarra in Pamplona”, 2020). At the same time, it requires a control of the process and treatments that make the manufacturing procedure of the sheets more expensive The acrimony of the copper supplements installed in the ICUs of the Clinic of the University of Navarra caused the nursing staff of the clinic to withdraw all the copper supplements that were installed in the experimental phase due to the danger posed by the cracks and needles that began to appear in the aforementioned supplements, both for the staff as well as for the sick and visitors.
    [0054] 3. The modification of surfaces by adhering copper sheets 50 microns thick has been used in the pediatric ICU of the Dr. Sótero del Río hospital, Santiago de Chile. This solution, however, is harmful to patients because the adhesives currently in use contain numerous chemical substances classified as dangerous by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), some of which are also endocrine disruptors, such as The inventors of this application have presented at the EMCEI Congress held in Tunisia and subsequently published (Aillón García, P., Parga-Landa, B. “An improved proposal for using laminar copper as a biocidal material in touch surfaces in a hospital Intensive Care Unit ( ICU)”, Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., 2021, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11678-z)). In addition, the copper sheets peel off over time, so they need to be replaced every two months. This constitutes, therefore, a maintenance cost that is not negligible at the end of the year, since it requires qualified technical personnel.
    [0056] The present invention solves all the problems posed by the previous methods. In particular, it is an electrochemical process by which copper, a metal with biocidal and antiviral properties, is deposited on a metal part or, in general, a metal substrate (preferably carbon steel, stainless steel or aluminum) in such a way that it is endows the copper substrate with biocidal and antiviral properties.
    [0058] It could be said that through this process a new bimetallic composite material is obtained, understanding as such a material composed of two physically different materials, mechanically separable -by means of tribology techniques, such as sanding-, and that are obtained by means of a controlled mixing process : electrodeposition.
    [0060] The most common objective of metallic electrodeposition in construction materials is the protection of the metal, providing it with resistance to corrosion. For example, they have been galvanized and nickel-plated for a long time for protection against corrosion and chrome-plated for taps. Copper or copper coatings have been used in electrolytic coating techniques as an auxiliary prior substrate to improve the quality of some surface chemical treatments such as, for example, chrome plating in which copper plating is applied first, then nickel plating and finally chrome plating. Secondly, with much less frequency, copper plating as a final chemical treatment is used in architectural constructions for purely decorative and appearance purposes, and always with a varnished or patinated finish.
    [0062] However, copper has never been electroplated, due to its biocidal and antiviral properties, to improve health and provide passive protection against germs to a metal-based substrate, thus reducing the environmental load of germs on contact surfaces and, ultimately, , of an enclosure.
    [0064] Hence, the first novelty of the present invention consists in the application of electroplating principles to provide biocidal and antiviral properties to construction or architectural elements (for example, plinths), sanitary equipment (for example, drippers) or parts of installations (for example switches, elevator buttons, etc.), auxiliary furniture (for example, patient tables, door handles, bedside handles, etc.) or services (for example, grab bars or grab bars in buses , counters, etc.) which, being made of painted, chromed or plastic-coated carbon steel, or stainless steel or aluminium, do not have biocidal or antiviral properties. Due to this, the germs that are deposited on them by contact or gravity remain on their surfaces even after having applied a cleaning process, with the circumstance, in some cases, that these germs reproduce, thus converting the elements buildings, equipment, installations or furniture in reservoirs or fomites with a potential risk of contagion.
    [0066] In other words: the proposed method - a biocidal and antiviral copper coating - provides passive protection against germs to elements or pieces in which, previously, the germs that were deposited lived and, in some cases, reproduced.
    [0068] Moreover, as in electrolysis only copper ions are deposited which are converted into Cu on the pieces, elements or metallic substrates, the process allows obtaining pieces, elements, auxiliary furniture or parts of auxiliary furniture covered with a copper layer of 100 % purity, so the biocidal character and The antiviral effect of the piece or element treated in this way is even superior to that exhibited by a solid piece of copper whose maximum purity never reaches 100 % copper.
    [0070] The second novelty of the claimed method is that it is applicable to construction elements, equipment, furniture, etc., in use. A hospital no longer needs to discard construction elements, equipment or furniture whose substrate is metallic in order to buy new elements or equipment with biocidal and antiviral properties. Thanks to the process object of the invention, said equipment can be used and modified by applying an electrolytic copper coating. Hence, this method allows the reuse of existing metallic material in a hospital or health center, providing it with biocidal and antiviral properties. In other words, we are facing an invention that avoids large investments in the purchase of material and also avoids waste material. It could also be affirmed that we are facing a development of an improved circular economy since the material or equipment treated in this way, in addition to being reused, is endowed with biocidal and antiviral properties that it did not previously exhibit.
    [0072] The third novelty of the claimed method is that, in the case of newly manufactured elements, it allows for cheaper construction elements and metallic sanitary equipment and a significant improvement in performance by providing it with biocidal and antiviral properties. Indeed, a large part of architectural elements (baseboards, door frames, doors, etc.), material and sanitary equipment (support tables, drippers, etc.) are made of stainless steel, generally AISI 304. In the In the case of newly manufactured pieces of equipment or furniture, this method allows the use of carbon steel as the base material and, subsequently, copper coating it, instead of using stainless steel or solid copper as the base materials. This allows considerable price savings in all stainless steel construction elements, equipment or furniture, except in those cases in which the selection of stainless steel is to avoid the magnetism of carbon steel. In this way, many elements that are currently manufactured in stainless steel can be manufactured using carbon steel as the base metal -the cheapest by far- and, subsequently, apply an electrolytic copper coating to the carbon steel. If we continue with the example of the dropper, droppers with biocidal and antiviral properties could be manufactured with a plastic base, reducing the price by 2.5 times, or droppers with a copper-plated steel base, reducing the price by 1.8 times, that is, with very competitive prices compared to the high costs of an AISI 304 stainless steel dripper, whose cleaning cost is also considerable not to finish eliminating all the bacteria that accumulate in it. In other words, the process object of the invention allows the equipment to be provided with passive protection, biocidal and antiviral properties that it does not have, and this at a much lower cost compared to that corresponding to the processes known to date. If we refer to solid copper, the price of a solid copper dripper is multiplied at least five times (and can be up to seven times) compared to that of a copper-plated carbon steel dripper. In addition, it must be taken into account that the copper equipment has a copper purity of 99.97%, while the surfaces of the equipment modified according to the claimed method have copper with a purity of 100 %.
    [0074] The fourth novelty of the object of the invention is that it introduces in the hospital environment (or building or device in question, bus, train, etc.) a permanent system of cleaning and/or elimination of germs, by which it allows to reduce the bacterial load, viral load or, in general, the load of germs. This fact results in a greater healthiness of the environment and a reduction in nosocomial infections caused by contact. In this sense, this reduction in infections reduces the economic costs caused by the increase in time that a patient has to stay in a hospital due to the new infection (use of materials and medicines, the need for more health personnel, etc.) and also it reduces emotional and social costs, since most nosocomial infections cause sequelae or the death of the patient. Lastly, the process that is the object of the invention provides a self-cleaning system for germs that makes it possible to reduce the content of biocidal products used in cleaning products, reducing the harmful effects they have on the hospital environment (remember that it has been discovered that are the cause of antibiotic resistance).
    [0076] The purpose of the process object of the invention is that both the bacteria and the viruses that are usually deposited on the contact surfaces of architectural elements, furniture, certain sanitary equipment or equipment for services (for example, screens for restaurants) are eliminated in a safe way. continued upon contact with the surface modified by the new copper electrodeposition process.
    [0077] Finally, note that in the article published by Prof. Keevil et al., Charles William Keevil, et al., Rapid inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 on copper touch surfaces determined using a cell culture infectivity assay, 2021, DOI: 10.1101 /2021.01.02.424974 LicenseCC BY-NC-ND 4.0, the biocidal and antiviral behavior of solid copper C11000 specimens is compared to S30400 stainless steel specimens (that is, AISI 304) covered with a 150-micron layer of copper that has been bonded to stainless steel base metal by spraying pure copper particles cold, under high pressure, to form a permanent bond. For the first time, in January 2021, a copper coating applied on an AISI 304 stainless steel base metal appears. However, in this case, the method of obtaining the copper coating is very expensive compared to the one presented here. proposes, since it requires sophisticated technology and a machine that projects the copper particles at high impact speeds onto the stainless steel specimens. Note also that it is only known that the aforementioned procedure for coating stainless steel with copper has been applied to specimens, not to pieces or large elements, as it is possible to electrodeposite copper with the procedure proposed here. In this sense, one of the advantages of the present invention is that, if it is necessary to apply an electrolytic coating to a piece that is large in size, it is only necessary to manufacture a larger electrolytic tank -which is cheaper than a machine to project copper powder at high deformation speeds-, or immerse a part of the part, apply the electrolytic coating, turn the part over and immerse another part of the part to electrodeposite copper.
    [0079] DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
    [0081] A first object of the invention is a process for providing biocidal and/or antiviral properties to a substrate whose base material is metallic (hereinafter, metallic substrate) without said biocidal and/or antiviral properties, characterized in that it comprises applying a final coating of copper with a purity of 100 % on the entire surface of said metal substrate by electrodeposition, the thickness of said coating being very high (understood as such a thickness equal to or greater than twenty microns and preferably between 25 and 40 microns) in comparison with that of auxiliary copper plating or those carried out mainly for decorative purposes, giving rise to a new material with biocidal and/or antiviral properties.
    [0082] For the purposes of this patent, a biocide is understood to be any element (in this case copper) with the ability to destroy, counteract, neutralize, prevent the action of, or otherwise exert control over, any harmful organism by chemical or biological means. In turn, antiviral means any element that has the same effects on viruses, which are not considered living organisms as they need to invade a host cell in order to reproduce.
    [0084] The claimed process has application, therefore, in the technical, industrial, agricultural, livestock and service sectors (health, geriatrics, education, public transport, hospitality, commerce, banks and, in general, any service to the public ).
    [0086] As described, the process object of the invention is based on the electrodeposition of copper, a metal that has biocidal and antiviral properties, on a metal substrate that can consist of metal-based parts, furniture or auxiliary material (preferably carbon steel). , iron, stainless steel and/or aluminum). In particular, said pieces, furniture or auxiliary material will form part of an equipment or a space that is to be endowed with biocidal and antiviral properties to prevent the survival, transmission and proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms, including viruses, and thus prevent contagion. and reduce the toxicity of cleaning products.
    [0088] In particular, the claimed process is especially suitable for hospitals and other health centers (other than hospitals), day centers, nursing homes and health infrastructures, as well as for any space where there is a risk of acquiring infections (gyms and sports facilities, schools, nurseries, offices, ambulances, buses, trains, buildings for public service or attention to the public, hotel facilities, agricultural facilities, livestock facilities, industrial facilities, etc.). It is also suitable for water treatment equipment, as well as for fish farms.
    [0090] In an especially preferred way, the claimed process will be applied in hospital sanitary equipment (for example, drippers, bed rails, armrests for the patient's companion, light switches, handles, buttons, shower handles, taps, etc.), although can also be applied to elements architectural (baseboards, etc.), pieces, furniture or auxiliary material that provide a public service, such as door handles or handles, metal tables, support bars, train or bus wagon handles, etc.
    [0092] For the purposes of the patent, a metallic substrate is understood to be any constructive element, part, equipment or furniture that does not have biocidal or antiviral properties and whose base material is metallic.
    [0094] In particular, the claimed process can be used both on existing metal substrates and on newly manufactured metal substrates. In this way, existing construction elements, parts, equipment or furniture can be used without the need to replace them with new ones in order to provide them with biocidal and/or antiviral properties.
    [0096] Electrodeposition or the application of an electrolytic coating is an electrochemical surface treatment that, in the industrial field, is known as electroplating. It consists of the electrodeposition of an adherent metal coating on a substrate through electrolysis, that is, through the application of electric current, following Faraday's laws of electrolysis. Thus, through this metallic electrodeposition, a final surface with properties that neither the base metal nor the previous final finishes had.
    [0098] In essence, it is a question of covering the surface of a substrate (piece or element) of a metal B with a metal A by means of electrodeposition. To do this, it is necessary to create a circuit through which direct current circulates. The substrate (piece or element) of metal B, which acts as the cathode or negative pole, is immersed in a bucket filled with an electrolyte containing cations of metal A that will cover the surface of the metal substrate B. In said electrolyte it is also immersed a small ingot or a piece of metal A that will cover the substrate (element or piece), which will act as the anode or positive pole, and will provide the metallic cations of the coating. Since the process has to be carried out with direct current, current rectifiers will be used to transform the alternating energy supplied by the current source into direct current.
    [0100] In the anode (metal A that is electrodeposited on the surface of the metal B substrate that is modified) the oxidation reactions take place and in the cathode (where the metal element B whose surface properties are to be modified is located, for example a part of an eyedropper) reduction reactions take place. That is, the cations of metal A that will cover the substrate (for example, part or all of a dripper), which are released at the anode by the oxidation reaction, carry the direction of the electric current towards the cathode in the that the substrate (piece or element) to be modified of a metal B -for example, the dripper- has been placed through the electrolyte, which is conductive. For this oxidation-reduction reaction (RE-DOX) to take place, the reduction potentials of both metals must be taken into account, so that the reduction potential of the base metal of the substrate (part or element) to be coated (metal B , for example, the dropper, which acts as a cathode) is higher than that of the metal A (which acts as an anode) with which the referred element is to be covered.
    [0102] The most important purpose of metallic electrodeposition up to now has been to confer protection against corrosion to a metallic element, for example iron parts: in galvanizing, a zinc layer is deposited on the iron substrate. It has also been used for decorative purposes: chrome is applied to faucets. Hence, one of the main novelties of the present invention consists, first of all, in using metallic electrodeposition for a new purpose: to provide biocidal and antiviral properties by means of the electrodeposition of a metal A (copper) that exhibits said properties to a substrate of a metal B -for example, a steel dripper- that lacks these properties. Said substrate can be an existing or newly manufactured element, piece or furniture with polymeric or metallic finishes (chrome) that do not have said biocidal and antiviral properties, so that the germs that are deposited on them by contact or by gravity remain and/or they reproduce even if they are cleaned. For example, drippers whose base metal is carbon steel (which does not have biocidal or antiviral properties) usually have different finishes: painted with epoxy paint (epoxy paint does not have biocidal or antiviral properties) or chromed (which does not have biocidal or antiviral properties either). antivirals).
    [0104] The drippers whose base metal is AISI 304 stainless steel, whose price is higher than the carbon steel drippers as already described, are not covered with a material other than AISI 304; They are neither painted nor chromed. However, AISI 304 does not have biocidal or antiviral properties either, and its cleaning protocol, according to the manufacturers' recommendations, is usually more expensive than that of an epoxy paint or chrome finish.
    [0105] The second novelty of the invention lies in the selection of the metal. There are several metals with biocidal properties that can be electrodeposited and that have been used as an electrolytic coating in electroplating for other purposes (eg gold, silver, copper). Of these, copper has been selected, one of its main advantages being that both pure copper and copper oxide and ionized copper have biocidal and antiviral properties. In fact, Royal Decree 1054/2002, which regulates the evaluation process for the registration, authorization and marketing of biocides, contemplates in No. 51 of Annex I copper oxide as a biocidal active substance; and at 50 copper hydroxide. Therefore, if the electrodeposited copper coating were to oxidize -despite the oxidation resistance of copper-, the biocidal and antiviral properties would be maintained. This is not the case with other types of biocidal metals, such as silver.
    [0107] Copper electrodeposition to provide an existing or newly manufactured element with biocidal and antiviral properties is another important novelty of the invention since, to date, the copper electrodeposition technique has never been used for this purpose. Copper is used in electroplating as an auxiliary substrate to optimize the electrodeposition of other metals, for example, in chrome plating. Likewise, as has already been mentioned, copper electrodeposition is sometimes used in the world of decoration, depositing a very thin layer of copper, to which a finishing patina or varnish is always applied. Another novelty of the invention is that, after copper plating, no patina, varnish, wax or polishing product is applied.
    [0109] In a particular embodiment of the invention, the claimed process can be carried out using a process and installations (electrolytic cell, electrolyte, etc.) of those used for electrodeposition of copper in workshops (J. Gilaranz Sigüenza, Teoría sobre la electrolisis of copper), but with certain modifications. In particular, in the electroplating industry, electrolysis is carried out in electrolytic tanks that are usually made of reinforced iron and covered with PVC and another plastic material resistant to electrolytes or polyester tanks reinforced with resistant glass fibers. The volume of the tanks is usually adequate for the pieces to be treated. Workshops today generally have both automatic and manual galvanic installations. In the former, the pieces subject to surface treatment are automatically transported from one tank to another throughout the entire chemical process.
    [0110] In manual installations, an operator is the one who, duly protected, has to remove and insert the pieces into each of the tanks that make up the electrolytic process. The claimed process will preferably be carried out manually.
    [0112] In a particular embodiment of the process, the metal substrate to be treated -for example, a part of a dripper-, is placed on racks covered with an insulating material, so that only the contact area between the substrate and the rack receives current. . These racks will have a sufficient section to allow the passage of current and will not heat up so that there is no loss of current in the form of heat. In the case of small-sized substrates or parts, such as screws and bolts, electrodeposition can be carried out en masse in rotating drums specially designed for anodic and cathodic contacts.
    [0114] The claimed electrodeposition process may comprise a preliminary phase, prior to metal electrolysis, of conditioning and preparation of the metal substrate to be treated for electrolysis. This process will vary depending on the type of metal substrate (part or element) and base material to be treated. In the case of a metallic substrate (construction element, piece, equipment or furniture) that is or has been in use, whose base metal is metallic, said prior stage of conditioning and preparation may include cleaning (completely removing surface finishes, stripping or both) and/or degrease, with the consequent washing, neutralization and activation that conditions the substrate (part or element) for its electrolytic coating. This process may be shorter in the case of a newly manufactured carbon steel metal substrate (construction element, piece of equipment or furniture).
    [0116] This preliminary phase of conditioning and preparation for the electrolysis may additionally comprise a final sub-phase of classification of the metallic substrates based on the base metals.
    [0118] In particular embodiments in which the metallic substrates are in use, the conditioning and preparation stage may also include an initial sub-stage of dismantling all the components of the substrate, separating different elements: plastic parts, springs (in the case of telescopic parts such as drippers), screws, the different parts of electrical switches, etc.
    [0119] Once the metal substrate has been disassembled, the cleaning and/or degreasing sub-stages will be carried out. This cleaning process will be common for all metal substrates, but may vary depending on the finishes. After the cleaning and/or degreasing process, the different components can be separated, classified, depending on the base material. In this way, those materials that have low electrical conductivity -for example, AISI 304 stainless steel-, may be additionally subjected to a chemical treatment, prior to copper plating, to increase their electrical conductivity.
    [0121] In a particular embodiment in which the metal substrate is stainless steel, this stage of conditioning and preparation prior to electrolysis may include a specific final treatment to provide greater conductivity to the steel in the subsequent copper plating process. Preferably, this treatment may consist of the application of "GULF" electrolytic nickel.
    [0123] In an especially preferred embodiment, the conditioning and preparation process prior to the electrolysis applied to the stainless steel parts may comprise the following stages:
    [0124] • ultrasonic chemical degreasing;
    [0125] • electrolytic alkaline degreasing;
    [0126] • washed;
    [0127] • neutralized (acidified water);
    [0128] • application of "GULF" electrolytic nickel (to provide greater conductivity to stainless steel);
    [0129] • washed;
    [0130] • neutralized with H 2 SO 4 (activated); and
    [0131] • washed.
    [0133] In another particular embodiment in which the metal substrate is made of iron or carbon steel, the conditioning and preparation process prior to electrolysis may include:
    [0134] • ultrasonic chemical degreasing;
    [0135] • electrolytic alkaline degreasing;
    [0136] • washed;
    [0137] • neutralized (acidified water);
    [0138] • washed;
    [0139] • neutralized with H 2 SO 4 (activated); and
    [0140] • washed.
    [0142] In another particular embodiment in which the metal substrate is aluminum, the conditioning and preparation process prior to electrolysis may also include a specific final treatment to increase its electrical conductivity. Preferably, this process may comprise the application of an amalgam by chemical immersion in Cu and Zn salts to give conductivity to the aluminium.
    [0144] Preferably, the conditioning and preparation process applied to an aluminum metal substrate may comprise:
    [0145] • ultrasonic chemical degreasing;
    [0146] • electrolytic alkaline degreasing;
    [0147] • washed;
    [0148] • attack with HNO3;
    [0149] • washed;
    [0150] • application of an amalgam by chemical immersion in Cu and Zn salts to provide aluminum with conductivity;
    [0151] • washed;
    [0152] • neutralized with HNO3; and
    [0153] • washed.
    [0155] Preferably, the newly manufactured metal substrates can be made of iron, since they do not require a final treatment to increase their electrical conductivity, which is an economic advantage. In other preferred embodiments, the newly manufactured metal substrate can be made of carbon steel, since it is the cheapest base metal and the one that, due to its properties -high electrical conductivity-, requires the fastest and cheapest conditioning process.
    [0157] Once the metallic substrate has been prepared with the conditioning and preparation treatments described, the electrolysis is carried out. Finally, the process may comprise a final stage of washing and drying the material obtained after said electrolysis process.
    [0158] In electrolysis, the correct deposition of the metal (copper) is carried out following Faraday's laws of electrolysis, so it depends directly on the current density and the applied time. However, other factors that may also affect the correct deposition of the metal and final properties will also be taken into account, such as the type of electrolyte and its conditions, as well as the layout of the substrate to be coated. One of the novelties of the process is the high electrodeposition time, which ranges between 20 and 60 minutes.
    [0160] In the case of copper plating or electrolytic copper plating, the electrolyte can be acidic or alkaline. The alkaline copper bath can be made from cuprous cyanide salts (Cu+1) with electrolytic copper anodes. Instead, the acid copper bath can be made from cupric salts (Cu+2) with phosphorous copper anodes. Although the acid bath is cheaper, it is not suitable for copperizing iron pieces due to the chemical deposition of copper on the iron before the current passes, which causes poorly adherent coatings.
    [0162] In a particular embodiment of the electrolysis process, the conditions of said process may be the following:
    [0164] • electrolyte: the electrolyte used can be the usual one (J. Gilaranz Sigüenza, Theory on the electrolysis of copper) in a workshop for copper plating with an alkaline copper bath, being able to use an aqueous solution of copper cyanide, alkaline cyanide (sodium or potassium ), sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate, to which conductive salts such as Rochelle salt are added. Surfactants can also be added to reduce the surface tension of the electrolyte and thus reduce pitting in the pieces, as well as additives such as brighteners and leveling agents, which are organic compounds that in small concentrations reduce the grain of the electrodeposited metal, thus increasing the brightness and leveling in the finish. A typical concentration is 200 g/l CuSO 4 and 35 g/l H 2 SO 4 .
    [0166] Once the salts are dissolved, the essential compound of the cyanide bath is the complex formed in the electrolyte of potassium (or sodium) double cyanide and copper: CuCNKCN.
    [0167] Although there are industrially several types of cyanide electrolytes due to their copper concentration, a typical average concentration of the bath is 50 g/l CuCN, 95 g/l KCN (of which 20 g/l will be free in the electrolyte without complexing with CuCN ), 10 g/l NaOH, 6 g/l Na 2 CO 3 and 10 g/l Rochelle salt. KCN or NaCN can be used interchangeably. The function of KCN or NaCN, not combined, is to keep the anodes free of CuCN, which forms anodically and remains adhered to the surfaces of the positive electrode, generating anodic passivation, which hinders the passage of electric current, thus reducing the performance in electrolysis;
    [0169] anodes: the invention differs here from the usual copper plating in that a high number of high-purity electrolytic copper anodes (99.99%) are used. For the particular embodiment, more anodes were added. For example, in conventional auxiliary copper plating with an alkaline electrolytic bath, one or two anodes are usually used, depending on the size of the piece, and even three anodes for large pieces. One of the novelties of the invention is the arrangement of more electrolytic copper anodes. For example, to copper a sheet of 2000 x 1000 mm 2 thirteen anodes can be used. 13 anodes can also be used to copper drippers. Preferably, the number of anodes may vary between 7 and 13 depending on the size of the pieces.
    [0171] process conditions: the bath can be designed to work at a nominal current density of 3A/dm2, with which coatings with a quantity of copper established by Faraday's laws of electrolysis are obtained. In workshop practice, this is regulated by measuring the voltage, which can be kept between 4 and 5 volts, for example. The working temperature can preferably be 55°C to favor conductivity. In order to reduce the anodic passivation to which this electrolyte is prone, it is advisable to have the free KCN concentration in optimal conditions and to install a device in the rectifier that intermittently provides current interruptions that cause the anode to depassivate. The parts to be coated will enter the electrolyte perfectly degreased and activated. Continuous filtration and agitation of the electrolyte mechanically without air is recommended, since this would oxidize the cyanides in the electrolyte, giving them secondary reactions.
    [0172] As described above, electrolysis requires direct current, so it is necessary to use rectifiers that transform the alternating current of the network into direct current. In particular, the positive pole of the rectifier will be connected to the anode and the negative pole to the part that acts as the cathode. It is also important that the layer of metal -in this case copper-, which is deposited on the substrate (the part) is as uniform as possible, which depends, among other factors, on the layout of the part and the number of anodes .
    [0174] Preferably, the process will be carried out under agitation so that there is a good homogenization of the electrolyte and there is no weakening of cations on the cathodic surfaces to be coated. Depending on the type of bath, it can be stirred with clean air blown by a blower through some coils, or by mechanically moving the substrate (the piece) that acts as the cathode and that is covered. However, in a particular embodiment in which an alkaline bath is selected, the necessary agitation to facilitate uniform deposition must be carried out mechanically, moving the substrate (the piece or pieces) to be coated, to avoid the oxidation of the cyanides. present in the electrolyte.
    [0176] Likewise, other factors may preferably be optimized to avoid resistance to the flow of current. Thus, for example, in order for the conductivity of the ions to be correct through the electrolyte and to be able to supply the appropriate current intensity through the rectifier, the electrolyte will be adapted so that it is in optimal conditions of conductive salts and temperature, since these favor conductivity in the electrolysis process.
    [0178] Additionally, it is preferable to control that the part (or substrate) is sufficiently well arranged as a cathodic anchor, so that the electric current passes through it well and the intensity of the current that circulates through the electrolyte is the maximum projected.
    [0180] Finally, the electrodeposition time in copper plating as an auxiliary substrate or for decorative purposes is generally only one, two or five minutes maximum, depending on the application. In the case of the present invention, the electrodeposition will be carried out for a time preferably between 20 and 60 minutes, depending on the type of part. In an especially preferred way, the process will be carried out for a time comprised between 30 and 40 minutes to obtain a copper coating of sufficient thickness. Preferably, said thickness will be between twenty-five and forty microns, depending on the type of part, and will cover the entire surface of the part as uniformly as possible.
    [0182] In particular, once the aforementioned time has elapsed and the copper electrodeposition has been carried out, the substrate (the piece) is removed from the tray, washed to remove traces of the bath and passed to an area with hot air for drying, preferably at a temperature between 35 and 45 °C. In this way, a piece is obtained - for example, a carbon steel dripper - with an outer surface of pure copper. Indeed, after a sample was analyzed under a microscope at the Complutense University of Madrid, it was confirmed that it was 100% pure copper.
    [0184] One of the additional advantages of the invention is that it allows obtaining at a reasonable price (cost of copper-plated carbon steel) pieces that exhibit the greatest biocidal and antiviral power, surpassing the biocidal and antiviral power of solid copper pieces (whose cost is very superior). This is because the biocidal and antiviral power depends on the percentage of copper, being higher the higher the copper concentration. With the claimed process, a piece with a 100% pure copper surface is achieved, that is, a piece that exhibits the greatest biocidal and antiviral power. On the contrary, the percentage of copper in solid pieces depends on the copper manufacturing method, the highest being that of electrolytic copper, whose maximum percentage of Cu is 99.99%. The price of solid copper depends on its purity, so the most common is that solid copper pieces have a copper percentage of less than 99.99%, hence solid copper pieces will always exhibit less biocidal power than the same piece. of another metal modified with electrodeposited copper. In summary, with the claimed process it is achieved that the modified part -for example, a dropper-, presents some biocidal and antiviral properties that are the maximum that it can exhibit.
    [0186] Regarding the thickness of the coating, it can vary depending on the time during which the electrodeposition is carried out. Thus, for example, in particular embodiments of the invention the following thicknesses have been achieved:
    [0187]
    [0190] Preferably, the process may include a final finishing stage, where said finish may be rough or polished, depending on the application of the substrate (element or part).
    [0192] The claimed process requires, however, a condition common to any finish that differs from the electrolytic copper coatings applied to date: none of the surface finishes used in copper plating for decoration or other applications that entail, Depending on the case, the use of any type of varnish, oil or patina, since this application would block the biocidal and antiviral power of the electrolytic copper coating. It is also not possible to use waxes or other polishes. In this way, the finishing process will preferably only consist of a sanding, polishing and subsequent burnishing process, without using chemical products such as varnishes, patinas, waxes and polishing products.
    [0194] In particular, polishing can be done manually, without the use of any type of chemical product or paste. In the electroplating industry, this polishing is done with polymer pads. However, in this type of polymeric material, the life time of certain bacteria and coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2) is greater than the life time obtained with other materials (Van Doremalen, N ., et al., 2020, “Aerosol and surface stability of HCoV-19 ( SARS-CoV-2) compared to SARS-CoV-1”, The New England Journal of Medicine, 382, 1564-1567).
    [0196] Thus, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the finishing process can be carried out by sanding, preferably dry. This sanding process can be carried out by using an electric lathe using sanding and roughing discs, sanding rings or fan wheels. Sandpaper for metals can also be used, and a grit paper can be used first. 1500, then a 2000 grit paper and finally a 3000 grit paper. Sanding will preferably be done dry. Regarding the polishing, this can preferably be done with a polishing wheel on an electric lathe.
    [0198] After the sanding and polishing process, the process may include a cleaning stage, preferably with a 100 % cotton cloth, that is, one that does not contain synthetic fibers.
    [0200] Next, the process may include a step of washing the surface to polish it, preferably with another cotton cloth with lemon (solution with a citric acid content between 5% and 6 % that dissolves rust), followed by a rapid drying of the surface to prevent the drying of the citric acid as this could cause a "halo" on the surface when it dries.
    [0202] In other embodiments of the invention, washing can be carried out using a solution with an acidic pH preferably between 2 and 3. Lemon juice is preferably recommended, although cleaning vinegar (containing between 2% and 2% acetic acid) can be used. 3%) or a mixture of lemon juice and cleaning vinegar.
    [0204] Finally, the process may include a polishing stage, preferably with another clean 100 % cotton cloth, that is, without synthetic fibers, and without using polishing waxes or polishing products in any case.
    [0206] Another option consists of sanding and polishing with steel wool, preferably numbers 000 (only used for certain applications), 0000 and 00000 ; followed by washing with lemon juice and quick drying as in the previous case, and without subsequently using, in any case, varnishes, waxes or polishing products.
    [0208] It should be clarified that alkaline pH products should not be applied in any case to the copper-plated pieces.
    [0209] PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
    [0211] In particular, the claimed process will preferably be used to reduce the bacterial and viral load in hospital spaces or other health centers (day centers, nursing homes, etc.) and health infrastructures, as well as in other spaces where there is a risk of acquiring infections (gyms and sports facilities, schools, nurseries, ambulances, buses or trains, offices, etc.), providing biocidal and antiviral properties to architectural elements (baseboards, door frames, etc.), equipment and/or architectural furniture or industrial (bus or train handles, etc.). More preferably, the sanitary equipment may consist of drippers, light switches, bed structures or stretchers made of carbon steel or other metals, such as stainless steel or aluminum. It can also be used in public transport, in hotels, shops, banks and, in general, in any customer service.
    [0213] However, the process is not limited to its application to this type of construction elements, furniture and equipment. The electrolytic copper coating with the particularities previously described could be applied to any metallic material that acts as a contact surface and that is desired to become a self-cleaning surface, understanding as such a surface with biocidal and antiviral properties.
    [0215] On the biocidal and antiviral nature of copper, the scientific literature has provided data that proves its effectiveness against many different types of harmful bacteria, fungi and viruses. In particular, it has been described that copper is capable of inactivating or killing the following pathogenic organisms: Acinetobacter baumannii, Adenovirus, Candida albicans, Campylobacter jejuni, Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae ( CKD), Clostridium difficile ( and its spores), Coronavirus ( Human 229E), Enterobacter aerogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Helicobacter pylori, Influenza A ( H1N1), Klebsiella pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila, Listeria monocytogenes, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Norovirus, Penicilliium chrysogenum, Polio virus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica, Staphylococcus aureus ( MRSA, E-MRSA and MSSA), Tubercle bacillus, Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci ( VRE) and Vibrio cholerae. ( https://www.antimicrobialcopper.org/faq#which_microbial_pathogens_can_copper_inactivate); SARS-CoV-1; SARS-CoV-2 (Charles William Keevil, et al., Rapid inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 on copper touch surfaces determined using a cell culture infectivity assay, 2021, DOI: 10.1101/2021.01.02.424974 LicenseCC BY-NC-ND 4.0 and Van Doremalen, N., et al., 2020, “ Aerosol and surface stability of HCoV-19 ( SARS-CoV-2) compared to SARS-CoV-1”, The New England Journal of Medicine, 382, 1564-1567).
    [0217] The advantages of the present invention from different points of view have already been referred to above: it allows the reuse of already existing materials, equipment, parts or devices; It is a very affordable and economical solution that confers the greatest biocidal and antiviral power to the modified substrates (elements or pieces), since it allows to obtain 100 % pure copper contact surfaces (it is important to highlight that no copper alloy, nor the electrolytic pure copper, present a 100 % copper content); and it reduces the bacterial and viral load, that is, it cleans the environment of the space in which the modified substrates (elements or pieces) are located.
    [0219] The invention has been tested by modifying material in use at the University of Navarra Clinic in an ICU and in a room for bone marrow transplant patients (drips, exterior handles, bedside handles, coat racks, switches and buttons).
    [0221] After carrying out the claimed electrolysis process, bacterial load measurements were taken with a luminometer and it was incubated using a contact agar-agar plate that was placed in contact for ten seconds with the substrate to be treated (AISI 304 stainless steel, solid copper or electroplated copper). Once the contact was made, the contact agar plates were covered, labeled (type of contact surface, object, room) and left at the controlled room temperature of the clinic (23 °C) for seventy-two hours ( 72h). At least two measurements were taken for each contact surface. After this time, the Colony Forming Units of each contact agar-agar plate were counted, which were finally discarded, and the average of the two measurements was obtained.
    [0223] The results of the measurements of colony-forming units (CFU) carried out in an ICU without drip were the following:
    [0224] Table 1
    [0226]
    [0229] An ICU is a very dynamic space in which nurses enter with gloves that are fomites, that is, carriers of germs, with which they touch the drip, the bed, the switch, etc.
    [0231] Measurements from the same ICU taken immediately after a nurse touched only a modified electrodeposited copper dripper are given in the following table:
    [0233] Table 2
    [0235]
    [0238] Note that the mean increases from 4.79 CFU to 7.30 CFU due to the effect of contact.
    [0240] However, due to the self-cleaning nature of electrodeposited copper, as soon as a few minutes pass, which may reach 270 or 360 minutes, depending on the type of pathogen, the colony-forming units will evolve towards those shown in Table 1 .
    [0242] The result of the measurements taken in relative light units (URL) for the ICU without the drip are shown in Table 3:
    [0243] Table 3
    [0245]
    [0248] The results obtained in stainless steel auxiliary furniture elements before and after being subjected to the claimed process, and also in a solid copper piece with 72.32% Cu, are also shown below:
    [0250] Table 4. First line: Mean CFU of ICU open/close pushbutton panels made of stainless steel modified with electrodeposited copper; in second line: Average CFU of solid copper button panels of 72.32% Cu; in third line: CFU stocking of a stainless steel handle
    [0252]
    [0255] Table 5. First line: Average URL of ICU opening/closing pushbutton panels made of stainless steel modified with electrodeposited copper; in second line: Average URL of solid copper buttons of 72.32% Cu; in third line: Average URL of a stainless steel handle
    [0257]
    [0258] Table 6. First line: Average CFU of internal/external handles of medical units made of stainless steel modified with electrodeposited copper; in second row: CFU stocking with stainless steel handle
    [0260]
    [0263] Table 7. First line: Average URL of internal/external handles of medical units made of modified stainless steel with electrodeposited copper; in second line: Mean URL of stainless steel handle
    [0265]
    [0268] Table 8. On the front line: Average CFU of drawer pulls located inside a stainless steel UCI box modified with electrodeposited copper. In the second line: stainless steel handle without being subjected to claimed friction
    [0270]
    [0273] It is observed that the bacterial load is considerably lower in all the elements to which the claimed process has been applied. In this way, it has been shown that with the process object of the invention it is possible to provide biocidal and antiviral properties to health equipment or services normally in use that previously did not have them, in which the bacteria could live for long periods. of time or even -depending on the type of bacteria- organize to form colonies.
    [0275] The claimed process allows obtaining sanitary equipment or services in which in a few minutes or at most a few hours (depending on the microorganism of in question) the pathogens deposited on the surface modified with 100 % purity copper are eliminated or deactivated.
    [0277] It should be noted that, according to the Study of the Prevalence of Nosocomial Infections in Spain (EPINE), the hospital bacteria that is the cause of the largest number of nosocomial infections is Escherichia coli. Said bacteria is eliminated by a C11000 copper (99.9% purity) in 90 minutes at a temperature of 20°C and in 270 minutes if the temperature is 4°C (Wilks, SA, et al., 2005, “The survival of Eschenchia coli O157 on a range of metal surfaces", International journal of food microbiology, 105(3), 445-454). Taking into account that the claimed process provides the contact surfaces with 100 % pure copper, it can be affirmed that the self-cleaning time against said bacteria is less than 90 minutes at room temperature (20 ° C.) Therefore, if a patient infected with Escherichia coli were to deposit said bacteria by contact on several modified contact surfaces, with the process claimed in Less than 90 minutes would remove (kill) the bacteria from any contact surface that had been infected by it Wilks et al. 304).At thirty By the end of the test, the Escherichia coli had not yet disappeared from the stainless steel surface. It should be remembered that although the cleaning protocol with bactericidal and virucidal chemical substances is applied every 24 hours, this process does not completely eliminate the bacterial load from contact surfaces, as verified by Schmidt et al., 2019 (Schmidt, MG, et al., 2019, “Self-disinfecting copper beds sustain terminal cleaning and disinfection effects throughout patient care", Applied and environmental microbiology, 86 ( 1 )).
    [0279] The claimed process also confers antiviral properties. Prof. Keevil of the University of Southampton has determined, in February 2021, that the deactivation time of the HCOV-19 virus (SARS-COV-1 2), which causes the COVID disease, on large copper contact surfaces purity is one minute ( Charles William Keevil et al., “Rapid inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 on copper touch surfaces determined using a cell culture infectivity assay", 2021, DOI: 10.1101/2021.01.02.424974 License CC BY-NC- ND 4.0) This article discusses the tests of other researchers (Van Doremalen et al., 2020) that have determined that the HCOV-19 virus (SARS-COV-2) takes just under 4 hours to deactivate on a surface. copper of 99.9% purity. researchers published that said virus is stable in stainless steel for up to two to three days.
    [0281] Hence, the application of the claimed process to treat sanitary equipment or services with copper also represents a fundamental advantage in terms of protection against viruses and, specifically, against the new SARS-COV-2 coronavirus.
    权利要求:
    Claims (12)
    [1]
    1. Process for providing biocidal and/or antiviral properties to a metallic substrate without said biocidal and/or antiviral properties, characterized in that it comprises applying a copper coating with a purity of 100% on the entire surface of said metallic substrate by electrodeposition, giving rise to a material with biocidal and/or antiviral properties.
    [2]
    2. Process according to claim 1, wherein the metal substrate is made of a material selected from a group consisting of iron, carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminium.
    [3]
    3. Process according to claim 1 or 2, where the metal substrate is selected from a group consisting of a construction element, piece, equipment or furniture, already existing or newly manufactured, of a hospital, health center other than a hospital, nursing home, day center, sports facility, school, nursery, office, ambulance, bus, train, public service building, hotel facility, agricultural facility, livestock facility or industrial facility.
    [4]
    4. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said process comprises a prior stage of conditioning and preparing the metal substrate by cleaning and/or degreasing.
    [5]
    5. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said process comprises a final stage of washing and drying the material obtained after the copper electrodeposition process.
    [6]
    6. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the electrodeposition process is carried out under agitation in an alkaline bath comprising cuprous cyanide salts.
    [7]
    7. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, where the electrodeposition is carried out in an electrolytic bath with a number of anodes between 7 and 13.
    [8]
    8. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the electrodeposition process is carried out for a time comprised between 20 and 60 minutes.
    [9]
    9. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, where once the electrodeposition has been carried out, a finishing process is carried out consisting of a sanding, polishing and subsequent burnishing process, without using chemical products selected from among varnishes, patinas, waxes and polishing products.
    [10]
    10. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the thickness of the coating is between 25 and 40 microns.
    [11]
    11. Material with biocidal and/or antiviral properties obtained by means of a process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said material is a sanitary equipment.
    [12]
    12. Material, according to claim 11, where said sanitary equipment is selected from a group consisting of drippers, bed rails, armrests, light switches, handles, buttons, shower handles and taps.
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