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Coronavirus copper plate door handles
Copper Plating Solution
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Q. Hi. I have a gallon of Jax instant copper plating solution. Paint-on type.
I understand that this product only lays down a very thin layer of copper but if I can get instructions of how I can prepare the surface using simple widely available materials. We would like to test the idea that copper plating public door handles will reduce the transmission of the coronavirus.
It is my understanding that the coronavirus lasts 4 hours on bare copper and 72 hours on stainless steel. That is why I am interested in the project. Thank you in advance for your advice.
sincerely Marty Stecher
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Copper Roof Paint
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A. Hi Marty. Obviously I'm no virology expert and can't say what percentage of copper is needed to produce the results you quote. For all I know 5% might do it or 99+% might be required.
But some copper roof paint has a lot of copper in it. One brand says it has 2 pounds of real copper flakes per gallon, which is about 25% copper so I think that might do at least something.
Nothing wrong with you using the Jax you have on hand if you can, but that's the rub. To my understanding it is not a paint but an immersion/replacement solution along the lines of the blue copper sulphate [on
eBay or
Amazon]solutions we watched deposit copper onto iron nails in science class. It can only work by reacting with the metal of the door handles in question, which can only happen if
1. all paint, clearcoats, lacquers, etc., are removed from the metal; and
2. the metal of the handle causes the immersion/replacement reaction to occur; stainless steel won't, chrome won't, aluminum won't, nickel may or may not; zinc, steel, and brass probably will. But again, whether the pure copper of the plating solution is more effective than the copper in the alloys (brass & bronze) is something I wouldn't know. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
March 2020
Q. I am looking into copper plating some door handles due to their antimicrobial properties.
My question is how would I go about copper plating these door handles? Would it be worth doing it myself or getting a workshop to do it for me?
- Kent, United Kingdom
May 4, 2020
Copper Plating Solutiuon
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Small Plating/Anodizing Power Supply
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A. Hi Richard.
First, we need to determine the actual requirement to achieve the reputed benefits of a surface on which Covid-19 can't survive; you may already know the answer, but I have no clue. It could be that the surface must be 5% pure copper or 25%, 75% or 95%+. Because the thing is: painting a door knob with copper-bearing paint is drop dead easy; but doing copper electroplating on it can be anywhere from moderately difficult to extremely difficult depending on the material of the substrate, its condition, what coatings are currently on it, etc. If you saw copper plating in high school science class, remember that everything was carefully chosen to make it easy for a demonstration; real-world doorknobs and robust plating that won't all come off on the first hand that touches is can be hard to achieve.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
May 2020
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A. Recently I came across a ref where someone claims to deposit copper by modified 3-D printing process "The price of coating a standard office door handle is about A$50-A$100 ($33-$65), says Kennedy, although costs will fall over time." (https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/copper-coronavirus-study-1675845-2020-05-08) Bangalore Plasmatek - Bangalore Karnataka India May 15, 2020 A. Hi Richard  Geoff Smith Hampshire, England May 14, 2020 |
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