InkTec Europe has confirmed that its anti-microbial copper film, launched in August, has been shown to ‘inactivate’ Covid-19 within four hours.

An NIH-supported study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, evaluated the survival time of the coronavirus strain responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, on four common surfaces, and found that SARS-CoV-2 was inactivated the fastest on pure copper.

Available now as 30m rolls in 50cm widths, InkTec’s film is intended for use on frequently-touched surfaces such as door handles, touchscreens, counters, public transport hand rails and power switches.

‘These findings are significant,’ said Peter Davidson, head of IP consumables sales at InkTec Europe. ‘While we knew that anti-microbial copper coatings can play an important role in reducing bacterial transmission, these results show that this type of film has a significant part to play in combating Covid-19 virus transmission.

‘These copper-alloy films are perfect for any frequently-touched surfaces such as desks, door push plates and handles, touchscreens, counters and power switches. As a result, we are working on a number of products using the film which will mean it is available in other formats.’