Articles having an exposed surface coating formed from copper nanoparticles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016201183-A1
Application number	US-201614992960-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 11, 2016
Priority date	Jan 14, 2015
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Various touch surfaces can lead to the spread of many types of secondary infections. Although copper has some capacity for conveying antiseptic properties, it can be problematic to form a copper-containing surface upon an article that does not otherwise contain copper. Copper nanoparticles can be used to address this situation by forming a plurality of copper islands upon the substructure of an article. Articles having antiseptic properties can include an exposed surface coating containing a plurality of copper islands, and a substructure underlying the exposed surface coating, in which the substructure contains a material differing from copper. The copper nanoparticles can remain in their original form in the exposed surface coating, or at least a portion of the copper nanoparticles can be fused together to form the copper islands. Biocidal activity beyond limiting transfer of secondary infections can also be expressed in the articles.

First claim

What is claimed is the following:

1 . An article comprising:
an exposed surface coating comprising a plurality of copper islands; and a substructure underlying the exposed surface coating, the substructure comprising a material differing from copper.

2 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the exposed surface coating covers about 30% to about 50% of a surface area of the substructure.

3 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of copper islands comprise a plurality of unfused copper nanoparticles.

4 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of copper islands are chemically bonded to the substructure.

5 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of copper islands range between about 25 nm and about 10 μm in size.

6 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the exposed surface coating further comprises silver.

7 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the exposed surface coating further comprises a rare earth metal.

8 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the substructure comprises a metal differing from copper.

9 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the substructure comprises textile fibers.

10 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the substructure comprises a polymer.

11 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the substructure comprises a ceramic.

12 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the exposed surface coating conveys antiseptic properties to the article.

13 . A method comprising:
providing an article having a substructure comprising a material differing from copper; and applying a plurality of copper nanoparticles to a surface of the article to form an exposed surface coating comprising a plurality of copper islands.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the exposed surface coating covers about 30% to about 50% of a surface area of the substructure.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
fusing at least a portion of the plurality of copper nanoparticles together to form the plurality of copper islands.

16 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
applying a plurality of silver nanoparticles to the surface of the article along with the copper nanoparticles.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
applying a rare earth metal to the surface of the article along with the copper nanoparticles and the silver nanoparticles.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the substructure comprises textile fibers, a polymer, a ceramic, or a metal differing from copper.

19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of copper nanoparticles is applied to the substructure of the article to form the exposed surface coating after the article is manufactured.

20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of copper nanoparticles is applied to the substructure of the article to form the exposed surface coating while the article is being manufactured.

Assignees

• Lockheed Corp

Inventors

• Zinn Alfred A

Classifications

• C23C24/106

  Coating with metal alloys or metal elements only · CPC title

• B32B15/01 Primary

  all layers being exclusively metallic {(making layered metal workpieces by pressure cladding B23K20/22; making coatings with a metallic material characterised by its composition C23C30/00)} · CPC title

• C23C2/00

  Hot-dipping or immersion processes for applying the coating material in the molten state without affecting the shape; Apparatus therefor · CPC title

• C23C4/12 Primary

  characterised by the method of spraying · CPC title