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One of the greatest challenges worldwide is containing the spread of problematic microorganisms. A promising approach is the use of antimicrobial coatings (AMCs). The antimicrobial potential of certain metals, including copper and zinc, has already been verified. In this study, polyethylene terephthalate and aluminum (PET-Al) foils were coated with copper, zinc, and a combination of these two metals, known as core–shell particles, respectively. The resistance of the three different types of coatings to mechanical and chemical exposure was evaluated in various ways. Further, the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and the bacteriophage ϕ6 were used to assess the antimicrobial efficacy of the coatings. The best efficacy was achieved with the pure copper coating, which was not convincing in the abrasion tests. The result was a considerable loss of copper particles on the surfaces and reduced effectiveness against the microorganisms. The core–shell particles demonstrated better adhesion to the surfaces after abrasion tests and against most chemical agents. In addition, the antimicrobial efficiency remained more stable after the washability treatment. Thus, the core–shell particles had several benefits over the pure copper and zinc coatings. In addition, the best core–shell loading for durability and efficacy was determined in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, copper particles are deposited on additively manufactured surfaces and investigations are performed to determine the mechanical properties and the impact of copper tracks on the surfaces. The basic investigation covers quasistatic tests, namely, tensile and three point bending, for three different printing orientations and two infill variations (+45°/−45° and 0°/90°), which shows no remarkable differences. In addition, a copper track is sprayed via atmospheric pressure plasma spraying (APPS) onto the polymeric samples and characterized regarding hardness and electric conductivity. Furthermore, a specific application for the copper track on the polymer substrate is recreated by a cyclic three point bending with a novel sample geometry (T‐shaped). The sprayed copper track has 60% of the hardness and 40% of the indentation modulus of bulk copper. Depending on the substrates' topography, the electric conductivity varies from 7% to 18% of bulk copper. The lifetime of the copper track (i.e., conductivity) is strongly dependent on the deformation and the fracture of the polymer underneath. The underlying failure mechanism is triggered either by the topography of the polymer substrate or as a consequence of the damage in the copper track, leading to superficial cracks in the polymer surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]