Faculty Publications

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    Degradation response and bioactivity assessment of antimicrobial copper coatings in simulated hand sweat environment
    (Elsevier B.V., 2022) Bharadishettar, N.; Udaya Bhat, K.
    The antimicrobial copper coatings were deposited on AISI 304 stainless steel (SS) using electrodeposition technique for touch surface applications. Electrodeposition was performed using a non-cyanide electrolyte, with varying copper concentrations. The copper coatings were investigated for their microstructure, in vitro degradation in the simulated hand sweat environment, and antimicrobial activity in an agar medium. It is noted that all the coatings have nanostructures in their microstructure. The microstructure of the coatings along with the contact period with the bacteria affects the antimicrobial activity measured against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The nanostructured morphology has resulted in an increased surface area with enhanced copper toxicity. The degradation behavior of coatings in the simulated hand sweat solution was further probed using potentiodynamic polarization test and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). © 2022 Elsevier B.V.
  • Item
    Effect of acid pickling treatment of stainless steel substrate on adhesion strength of electrodeposited copper coatings using non-cyanide electrolyte
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2023) Bharadishettar, N.; Udaya Bhat, K.
    In recent years, copper-based antimicrobial coatings have gained popularity in healthcare and public recreation facilities. The morphology, topography, and adhesion strength are decisive properties for copper coatings to have long-term antimicrobial effectiveness in hospital environments. This work explores the effect of multistage acid pickling treatment of AISI 304 stainless steel substrate on the adhesion strength of the copper coating. The copper coating was obtained by electrodeposition using an alkaline non-cyanide electrolyte. After the fourth stage of acid pickling, the copper coating had an excellent adhesion strength, up to 9 MPa. Glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES) examination revealed no oxide scales or other contaminants on the SS surface after the fourth (final) stage of acid pickling. Using a non-contact optical profilometer, it was observed that the roughness of the substrate increased with each stage of the pickling treatment. The surface topography analysis confirms the increased density of the interlocking sites, which favors the adhesion of the coating. On the other hand, the microstructure of the copper coating showed a cauliflower-like morphology with an average nodule size of 28 nm. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed that the coatings have nano-scaled crystallites with internal twins inside the grains of copper coatings. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd