VIRUSES SURVIVE FOR HOURS LESS ON THE SURFACES OF ALUMINIUM
In these times of complicated epidemic situations and increased attention to health various issues arise concerning common spaces, public areas, and healthcare facilities. The focus of the specialists naturally directed to the materials that are used in areas with a large flow of people - choices that may affect the spread of viruses, bacteria, and infectious diseases. While there are many unknown factors for the COVID-19 virus and it is still being studied, recent data show significant differences in the life of viruses on different surfaces. At the same time, there are different ways of processing the materials, which seem to further reduce the growth and survival of viruses and bacteria, increasing the ability of surfaces to destroy pathogens.
A large research study published in the Journal of Hospital Infection tests human coronavirus strains for their existence on different surfaces and found that the virus lived only two to eight hours on aluminium, but for days on many other materials. Studies published in The Lancet and The New England Journal of Medicine confirm the longer survival of the coronavirus on steel and plastics. In addition, various finishing technologies, including anodising, etching, sealing, and coating, can add antimicrobial properties to the aluminium surface, which makes it inhospitable to bacteria and viruses. Aluminium products - with their characteristics - thermal conductivity, high corrosion resistance, and durable coating properties - withstand aggressive cleaning and disinfection techniques and facilitate effective cleaning. Extruded aluminium profiles are widely used in the architecture of public buildings and are often chosen for structural, decorative, and functional applications due to numerous advantages. In the conditions of the current pandemic situation, another advantage is added to all of them, namely - aluminium seems to be more inhospitable to viruses and bacteria than many other materials.
*The material uses the latest data provided by the Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC). The information is obtained from reference sources that are considered reliable.
