Antimicrobial coatings development for polymeric materials

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This project seeks to assist a company with the development of antimicrobial coatings that can be used on plastic surfaces. The purpose of these coatings is to reduce the transmission of disease in hospitals and similar other settings, by killing bacteria that are left on the surface after being touched. These "healthcare acquired infections" are a significant source of complications in patients and cost to the health care system, and it has been shown that antimicrobial materials can play a major role in reducing such infections.The current coatings, which are based on a copper alloy, can be readily applied to metal surfaces but do not adhere well to plastics. Since many items in a healthcare environment are plastic, there is a great need to adapt the coatings to such materials. In this project, we will investigate several different routes to coating plastics with the copper alloy, or incorporating the antimicrobial alloy into the surface layers of the plastic. The antimicrobial properties of the resulting materials will be characterized, as well as the physical properties to ensure that the materials can continue to be used for the intended purpose. We will also explore the nature of the antimicrobial action, to determine if it can be improved and to identify if there are bacteria that may be resistant to the material's effects over time.By the end of the project, at least seven research personnel will received advanced training in materials and microbiological techniques and theory. The company will have a better understanding of the nature of the antimicrobial action and how to control it, and they will have several different alternatives for applying their antimicrobial coating material to new product development with plastics.