In 2012 Colmac introduced a proprietary metal alloy for use in cooling coils installed in food processing facilities. This Anti-Microbial fin alloy was shown to kill bacterial pathogens such as E.coli in as little as three hours within contact. See: Anti-Microbial Heat Exchanger Fin Construction. Colmac Anti-Microbial coil construction has been used successfully since its introduction in food processing room air coolers and air handlers, as well as in IQF tunnel freezer coils.
Newly emerging zoonotic viral pathogens (viruses found in wild animals which transfer to humans), such as the novel coronavirus COVID-19, pose a significant global health risk. Most of these are RNA viruses which are transmitted through the mucal or respiratory route and manifest as respiratory disease such as pneumonia. The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated there are 450 million cases of pneumonia per year resulting in 4 million deaths, with approximately 200 million of these starting with viral infections. In 2003, the coronavirus SARS which emerged in Guangdong Province in China and infected over 8,000 people was believed to have originated in bats and palm civet cats transferred to humans. In 2012 the coronavirus Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) appeared in the Arabian Peninsula and was thought to have been transferred from bats and possibly camels to humans. This virus was found to have a very low infectious dose which suggests that transmission of very few virus particles person-to-person or contact with contaminated surfaces may be an infection risk. Most recently COVID-19, also a coronavirus thought to have been transferred from bats and possibly pangolins to humans originated in Hunan Province in China. The spread of this highly contagious coronavirus has resulted in a global pandemic which is ongoing and as of this writing has infected over 7.5 million people and resulted in over 400,000 deaths worldwide.
Research performed at the University of Southampton (UK) in 2015 showed that samples of the human coronavirus HuCoV-229E, which is associated with a wide range of respiratory disease from mild colds to severe pneumonia in immune-compromised people, were very quickly inactivated (killed) when placed in contact with the same alloy used in Colmac Anti-Microbial fins. It is known that coronaviruses persist in an infectious state on common surfaces such as stainless steel, glass, and plastics for several days, however, the metal alloy used in Colmac Anti-Microbial fins releases copper ions which then generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) which quickly inactivate the coronavirus. This process results in fragmentation of the viral genome, ensuring that inactivation of the virus is irreversible. It was shown that samples of the coronavirus placed in contact with the Anti-Microbial fin alloy were completely inactivated in less than 30 minutes. This latest research has shown that both bacterial and viral pathogens are quickly killed when placed in contact with Colmac Anti-Microbial fins.
More information can be found at the following link: Anti-Microbial Fin Evaporators