Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ

No, the antimicrobial property of copper is intrinsic to the metal.  In order to maintain antimicrobial effectiveness, oils, waxes, glosses, paints and other coatings must NOT be applied.

Yes, with care and the correct procedure.

Yes, brass and bronze alloys are available

Yes, antimicrobial copper surfaces have been proven to have over 90% less contamination than conventional touch surfaces in hospital trials around the world.  Trials have taken place, or are under way, in China, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Spain, South Africa, Chile and the US.

Furthermore, in a multi-centre US trial, funded by the Department of Defense, antimicrobial copper surfaces were shown to reduce a patient’s risk of acquiring a healthcare-associated infection by 58%.

Copper sulphate, because of its fungicidal and bactericidal properties, has been employed as a disinfectant on farms against storage rots and for the control and prevention of certain animal diseases, such as foot rot of sheep and cattle.

No, copper alloys also do. Tests have been performed on pure copper, high coppers, brasses, bronzes, copper-nickels and copper-nickel-zincs (sometimes referred to as nickel silvers because of their shiny white colour, even though they contain no silver.  Alloys with higher copper content kill organisms faster but, as a general rule, alloys with >60% copper have good efficacy.  ‘Antimicrobial Copper’ is shorthand for these efficacious alloys.  When choosing a copper alloy for a product it is important to balance the requirements for mechanical properties, manufacturing process and, of course, colour.  Copper alloys provide a palette of attractive colours from the yellow of brasses to the dark browns of bronzes.

When good heat transfer is essential, as in vehicle radiators, copper and brass are excellent choices due to their high thermal conductivity and ease of brazing, especially in thin sheets.

The same or better performance can be achieved with less tube and fin material. In other words, more heat can be dissipated with less material. Less tube, more heat! Technically speaking, a coil made with smaller diameter tubes can be designed with a higher ‘heat transfer coefficient’ compared to a coil made with larger diameter tubes.

‘Antimicrobial’ is the ability of a substance to kill or inactivate microbes, such as bacteria, fungi (including moulds) and viruses.
Man has exploited the inherent antimicrobial properties of copper since the dawn of civilisation.  It has been demonstrated clearly in many scientific studies conducted over several decades that copper has rapid, broad spectrum antimicrobial efficacy against some of the most toxic species of bacteria, fungi and viruses.

Condenser coils with round copper tubes and aluminium fins have been a winning combination for ACR coils for many years. Manufacturers enjoy the assembly advantages provided by these components while technicians find it easy to join and repair copper tubing in the field. More importantly, this well established technology has a proven record of durability in the field resulting in a high level of customer satisfaction.

A high-purity copper wire harness system carries current from the battery throughout a vehicle to equipment such as lights, central locking, onboard computers and satellite navigation systems. Electric motors, which are wound with high conductivity wire, are also used in many vehicles. The average car contains about 1 km of wire.

The scientific literature cites the efficacy of copper to kill or inactivate many different types of harmful bacteria, fungi and viruses, including:

• Adenovirus
• Aspergillus niger
• Clostridium difficile
• E. coli O157:H7
• Influenza A (H1N1)
• Legionella pneumophila
• Listeria monocytogenes
• MRSA (including E-MRSA)
• Poliovirus
• Salmonella enteritidis
• VRE