Fighting viruses and bacteria using fabricated 3-D surfaces
Is it possible to create materials that have bactericidal and virucidal surfaces with high levels of durability and effectiveness? And could these sanitising surfaces be used to treat the air in enclosed spaces? Behind these questions is technological institute AIDIMME who worked with Industrias Alegre on a project called FILTAIR to study contact biocides that could be incorporated into additive manufacturing surfaces.
The project, which is being developed by AIDIMME and financed by IVACE, consists of creating sanitising surfaces that have the power to destroy viruses and bacteria on contact. The work covers different materials - both polymeric and metallic - and we at Industrias Alegre are supplying polypropylene parts made in our additive manufacturing section. These are 40x40 mm and 0.5 mm thick panels, on which the technological institute technicians are conducting activation, anchoring and functionality tests of biocidal products by contact.
The biocides they work with at the technological institute are based on chemical compounds capable of breaking down the cell wall, thus inhibiting the proliferation of viruses and bacteria. These compounds are anchored to the surface and become part of it, so that they achieve their action by contact and have a prolonged action.
The material designed in this project is initially intended for use in filters for air systems, to complement and improve existing systems.