Scientific tests conducted by relevant organizations show that pure copper and copper alloys containing more than 60% copper (such as brass, bronze, copper-nickel alloys, etc.) have good bacteriostatic function, and the higher the copper content, the better the bacteriostatic time.
Copper, can be said to be a veritable "treasure metal". In recent years, a special symbol for copper, "Cu+", has appeared on some medical devices, furniture and accessories. This symbol indicates that the product contains bacteriostatic copper - currently the most effective bacteriostatic material for contact surfaces in the world.
Tests conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have shown that copper, brass and bronze are effective against a wide range of disease-causing bacteria. At room temperature, antibacterial copper can inhibit the growth of bacteria 24 hours a day, killing more than 99.9% of Escherichia coli and other bacteria on its surface within two hours, minimizing "secondary contamination", and far outperforming other materials, including silver-containing coatings, stainless steel, and antimicrobial plastics.
As a natural antibacterial material, copper is harmless to people and the environment, and is 100% recyclable. There is no coating of any kind on the surface of copper, so even repeated wear and tear, contamination, natural oxidation and even rust to varying degrees will not impair its antibacterial effect. In front of the powerful anti-bacterial copper, the overbearing bacteria "wimped out".
Application in hospitals. Traditional sterilization methods such as hand washing, although it can control hospital infections, but can not achieve the desired effect. In hospitals where copper metal is used in large quantities, the colonization of drug-resistant bacteria on the surface of objects is significantly reduced.
Door handles, bed surrounds, light switches, tables, faucets, IV poles, etc., are copper and copper alloy products that have been used extensively in many hospitals. Data from the ICU Institute in the United States show that hospital wards in which the main contact surfaces are replaced with copper reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired infections (HCAIs) in patients by 40% to 70% compared to wards in which the surfaces are not replaced with copper.
In addition to its use in hospitals, copper can also be used in other environments where prevention and control of the spread of infections is a priority, such as equipment and environments involved in public safety and hygiene, such as nursing homes and schools.
Copper pipe applications. In economically developed countries and regions, copper tubing is the material of choice for building water supply pipes.
The United States, Canada, Australia and other countries, 85% of the building water supply pipe is copper pipe, the United Kingdom even reached 95%. Southeast Asia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong and other regions, copper pipe as a building with the use of water pipe rate is as high as 75%.
Biological studies show that the water supply in the E. coli in the copper pipe can not continue to reproduce. 99% of the bacteria in the water into the copper pipe 5 hours after being completely killed. Copper pipe tissue structure is extremely dense, with impermeable.
No matter whether it is grease, bacteria, viruses, oxygen and ultraviolet light and other harmful substances can not pass through it and contaminate the water quality. In contrast, copper pipe set many advantages in one, gradually become many major construction preferred pipe, but also direct drinking water with management want to pipe. Copper is also an important component of proteins and enzymes in the body and is vital to the body's metabolic processes. As a trace element in the human body, the intake of the right amount of copper from drinking water delivered by copper pipes also provides assistance to human health.
With a small coefficient of expansion at high temperatures and high strength at low temperatures, copper water pipes are able to withstand extremely hot and cold temperatures, making them an excellent pipe for supplying hot water. Due to the smooth inner wall, as a water pipe with low friction, high flow, no noise, outstanding pressure resistance, can significantly reduce the water leakage rate, so that the pipeline connection is more tight and safe.
Copper pipe can be 100% recycled, high regeneration value, and will not be like plastic pipe eventually reduced to white waste that is difficult to decompose and pollute the environment. Although copper water pipe relative to ordinary plastic water pipe and stainless steel water pipe is more expensive, but the service life of copper pipe is extremely long, copper pipe can ensure that the use of the period does not require maintenance and replacement.
