Employing Metal-Enriched Polymeric Composites: An Innovative Approach for Combatting Microbes and Bacteria in Building Components in Public Places

Abstract

The escalating occurrence of hospital-associated infections globally, compounded by the ongoing pandemic, has spurred researchers to delve into innovative approaches for combating pathogens and overcoming their resistance to commonly used materials. One of the most important concerns is frequently touched building components in public places and hospitals, which serve as potential sources of infection transmission, prompting a pressing need for effective antimicrobial solutions. This research developed antimicrobial polymeric composites comprising Copper (Cu), Aluminum (Al), and Stainless Steel (SS) particles incorporated into Polylactic Acid (PLA) via injection molding as a commercial method for the production of building components, to investigate the antimicrobial properties. The study aims at increasing the antimicrobial efficiency of polymeric composites with different metallic particles and tests the prepared polymeric composites (two sets of Cu-enriched composites, i.e., Cu–PLA–SS, by mixing Al–PLA with Cu–PLA, and Cu–PLA–Al, by mixing SS–PLA with Cu–PLA) against various bacteria. The results demonstrate that the samples prepared with Cu-PLA mixed with SS and Al exhibited the best antibacterial activity (98.6%) after 20 min of exposure to all bacteria, notably against Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococci. In addition, the hybrid composites Cu–PLA–SS and Cu–PLA–Al, prepared using injection molding, showed similar antimicrobial activity against all bacteria compared to those prepared using 3D printing. Therefore, polymeric composites enriched with metallic particles such as Cu, Al, and SS prepared via injection molding show potential in biomedical applications, food packaging, tissue engineering, and various technological industries, offering viable solutions for environments where risks from contact with infected surfaces are a concern.