Automatic Sanitization for Transportation Industry (part 3): "Containment Measures against COVID-19 Spread"

INTRODUCTION

This new article is a follow-up to the ones already posted by AYES CONSULTING in the past months on this topic. In the first article, the company detailed its technical approach based on system revamping and automatization while in the second one we detailed some of our current areas of research & findings in the field of large-scale cleaning and disinfecting treatments. Today, we are focusing on antiviral surfaces and materials.

CORONAVIRUS SURVIVAL ON SURFACES

Studies reveal that while the virus is still present on plastic and stainless steel after a 72-hour period, it is no longer detectable after 24 hours on cardboard and after 4 hours on copper.

FIGURE 1 – COVID-19 SURFACE SURVIVAL

ANTIVIRAL COATING

Antiviral coating may represent a new form of protection against Covid-19. Already used in Hong-Kong, it is a non-toxic material reportedly safe for the skin as well as for the environment. Moreover, it can be applied onto surfaces that are frequently touched like handrails as well as on surfaces inside trains, metros and buses.

The substance works through millions of nanocapsules that contain disinfectants (unlike common disinfecting methods such as diluted bleach and alcohol).

NANOPARTICLES

Nanoparticles of different materials such as metal nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, metal oxide nanoparticles, and graphene-based materials have demonstrated enhanced antimicrobial and antiviral capacity.

The use of inorganic nanomaterials (compared with organic antimicrobial agents) is best due to their robustness and long shelf life. At high temperatures/pressures, inorganic antimicrobial materials are found to be more stable than organic antimicrobial agents.

MULTILEVEL ANTIMICROBIAL POLYMER (MAP-1)

Effective in killing viruses, bacteria and even hard-to-kill spores, MAP-1 can deactivate up to 99.9% of highly infectious viruses such as measles, mumps and rubella. It also deactivates 99.99% of the surrogate Feline CaliciVirus (FCV) - a gold standard for disinfection efficiency since FCV is proven to be more resistant than coronaviruses.

This spray is heat sensitive: when somebody touches it, the polymer material can “feel” the temperature increase from the body heat and will release the disinfectant. Once the hand is removed, it will close and conserve the remaining disinfectant.

COPPER

The ions in copper alloys have both antiviral and antibacterial properties. They can kill over 99.9% of bacteria within a 2-hours timeframe. Copper is even more effective than silver, which requires moisture to activate its antimicrobial properties.

FIGURE 2 – COPPER ANTIVIRAL ACTIVITY

NANOCOATING SURFACE

Nanocoating can show up to 99.9998% effectiveness against bacteria, formaldehyde, mold and viruses and is up to 1.000 times more efficient than previous technologies available on the market. It could represent a helpful means of controlling the future spread of the epidemic.   

FIGURE 3 – COMPARATIVE RESULTS ON ANTIMICROBIAL EFFECT

CONCLUSION

This new “smart” antiviral material could represent a leg up in the fight against Coronaviruses. The research team claims it actively kills bacteria and viruses on surfaces for up to 90 days and can be applied on a wide range of surfaces, including metals, plastics and fabrics.

AYES regards this not only as a potential breakthrough in the fight against COVID-19 but also as an important step towards defining effective global strategies to fight known and yet unknown viruses and bacteria.