MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER

With our economic and social landscape changing, O,R&L continues its commitment in support of our local communities, our clients and long-term partners as we move forward. The topic of how to prevent infectious disease from spreading has become top priority for scientists all over the world and great headway is being made on research of materials, filters, cleaning protocols and so much more.

In our last V Note we touched on how to CONTAIN THE CHAIN through proper ventilation, HEPA Filters and Building Access Control Parameters.

Today we would like to look at new approaches of tackling antimicrobial resistance on surfaces as featured in a BBC Future article on 5/31/20. According to the latest research, Covid-19 – Sars-CoV-2 – can persist on cardboard for up to 24 hours, on plastic and stainless steel it can remain active for up to three days . Looking at two – one old and one new - materials for the building industry:
COPPER
Copper and other alloys have been used for their antimicrobial benefits for millennia. The ions in copper alloys are both antiviral and antibacterial, able to kill over 99.9% of bacteria within two hours. On hotspots such as elevator buttons and door handles it could help to reduce contamination significantly according to research at Purdue University. Copper surfaces can also be treated with lasers to create a rugged texture that increases the surface area – and, by extension, the number of bacteria it can kill.
CICADA WINGS
At the RMIT University of Australia molecular biochemist are looking at Nature for Solutions:
“Cicada insect wings are famous for their self-cleaning effect”. Their wings are super-hydrophobic, meaning that water droplets bounce off them, allowing contaminants to roll off with the water. More importantly they’re studded with tiny spikes on the surface that prevent bacterial cells from being able to settle and grow on the surface. The density and geometry of the pattern needed, and the method and materials for producing it, will depend on the features of the microbe being targeted. 
Complex zigzag shapes would be especially effective in water and air conditioner filters. And graphene sheets are incredibly thin, with “sharp edges that could cut through the bacterial membrane and kill it” (these tiny razor blades being too minute to damage human skin).

Titanium and titanium alloys are another focal point for surface research. These can be hydro-thermally etched: essentially the metal can be melted by high temperature and pressure, forming a fine sheet with sharp edges that can kill different types of bacteria. And titanium dioxide when exposed to UV light produces reactive oxygen species, such as peroxides, which inactivate microbes.

Our O,R&L Construction Team is continuously researching new and advanced technologies to help you stay ahead. What are our most pressing needs? 
Contact: Alrun Hylwa –  ahylwa@orlconstruction.com
O,R&L Construction Corporation
2 Summit Place | Branford CT 06405
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