The COVID-19 pandemic continues and takes many victims, the demand for antibacterial materials continues to grow… Copper3D, which we wrote about many times on our website, has achieved important validation to fight the coronavirus and has announced a cooperation with the largest petrochemical distributor in the Middle East – Petrochem.
Copper3D is a manufacturer of antibacterial materials dedicated to additive technologies based in Chile. Founded in January 2018, the company experienced a very profound year 2020, dominated by the fight against the pandemic. The manufacturer has made every effort to find effective and reliable solutions that protect people not only against the coronavirus, but also many other microorganisms that are dangerous to humans.
Since the beginning, Copper3D has been working on antimicrobial materials and infection control. In the face of the fight against the pandemic, he became a pioneer in the antibacterial plastics market, basing his solutions on the addition of copper, which is an antiseptic element.
During its activity, the company grew rapidly, achieving further successes and building a global network of over 20 distributors, with sales to over 50 countries. The company has been awarded two NASA research funds and ranks among the World Top 5 companies that have an impact on the 3D printing materials sector. Copper3D has also won a distinction at the prestigious World Economic Forum.
Over the past two and a half years, Copper3D has been working to validate that their antimicrobial filaments are “active materials” capable of removal of a wide range of human-threatening microbes. Last year the company started the process of validating material to fight HIV. It is the first solution of this type to be developed in laboratory conditions.
According to Dr. Claudio Soto, Medical Director at Copper3D, the lab validation process involving viruses is complex. Additional safeguards, equipment type and the involvement of highly qualified personnel who are trained to perform various types of tests must be considered. Laboratories also need to be prepared additionally, because this type of research is not common, and requires a high level of safety.
Due to the circumstances, Copper3D decided to partner with the French Pasteur Institute to conduct a new test against COVID-19. The company decided to conduct research on the Cuprionix® additive, present in all Copper3D products. Tests according to EN14476 + A2 have so far yielded remarkable results.
According to the research, the material shows very high antiviral properties starting from the first 30 seconds and reducing the number of viruses by up to 99.9% in less than an hour. The process of elimination of the microbes begins very quickly, and a sharp decline in the number of viruses can be observed just after 5 minutes. After about 60 minutes, its effectiveness is close to 100%.
Another important aspect that has been tested is cytotoxicity, i.e. the harmfulness to the cells of living organisms. The additive did not show any adverse effects, so it can be used in contact with people or animals.
Copper ions, present in Copper3D materials, are effective against viruses and other microbes. They are released in a controlled manner and their mechanism of action consists of two steps. The first one is the rupture of the envelope that protects the virus from the outside environment. The second is to denaturalize the viral RNA, that is, completely deactivate it.
Copper3D’s collaboration with Petrochem is set to revolutionize the petrochemical industry. The Chilean company sees many application possibilities both in the 3D printing industry and beyond. The offer of materials available for additive technologies will be supplemented with new antibacterial materials, dedicated to various methods of additive manufacturing.
The antimicrobial additive Cuprionix® can be mixed with a large amount of plastics. In spite of this fact, these materials can also be used in the industry for injection molding or thermoforming.
This year, the first tests of the antibacterial injection molding of the Nanohack Maverick Mask, which have already been tested under laboratory conditions, were carried out. In the near future, the company plans to test its antibacterial solutions in serial production, e.g. in aeronautics, automotive, hospital equipment and antibacterial coatings. Interestingly, the manufacturer is working on antibacterial solutions for mobile phones, which are huge habitats of bacteria.
The new solutions of the Chilean manufacturer attracted the attention of the giant in the petrochemical industry, Petrochem, and achieved success. The cooperation of these two companies will bring many benefits on a global scale.
Petrochem is the largest petrochemical distributor in the Middle East and Africa. Established 25 years ago in the United Arab Emirates, it also operates in India, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
As part of the cooperation between Copper3D and Petrochem, a new company, Cuprionix® based in the United Arab Emirates, will be established. The brand will work, produce and distribute antimicrobial additives, materials and solutions using proprietary and highly effective technology.
In the current situation, the world needs new antimicrobial solutions that will allow Cuprionix® to achieve global success and effectively reduce the number of infections and deaths. The cooperation of these two companies will help limit virus expansion and save lives on a global scale.