Copper's New Skin: A Micro-Nano Shield

Scientists have created a special film on copper surfaces that mimics sharkskin, giving it superpowers. This film, made through a process called chemical etching and formate passivation, protects the copper in several ways. First, it makes copper resistant to corrosion. When tested in seawater for 7 days, the film increased the copper's protection against corrosion by over three times compared to regular copper. In one type of seawater, this protection was even seven times stronger.

The film also fights off bacteria. After 3 days, it reduced the number of harmful bacteria like Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Desulfovibrio vulgaris by over 88%. Lastly, the film helps copper conduct heat better, keeping it 10% higher than usual even after 7 days in seawater. This makes the copper more effective in heat exchange systems used in seawater.

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