06-23-2018: Coper3D debuted with its groundbreaking, antibacterial PLACTIVE filament
It soon become the leading 3D printing material used in the production of medical applications in FFF technology.
On June 23, 2018, Chilean company Copper3D introduced an innovative antibacterial 3D printing filament doped with copper nanoparticles. Founded by physiotherapist Daniel MartÃnez, civil engineer Andrés Acuña and doctor Claudio Soto, the company focused on solving skin problems related to the use of prosthetics and other orthopedic devices. To do so, Copper3D developed a new 3D printing polymer doped with copper nanoparticles, which effectively eliminate fungi, viruses and bacteria, but are harmless to humans in appropriate concentrations.
The company's first product was PLACTIVE - a high-quality PLA polymer doped with copper in concentrations of 1, 2 and 3%. PLACTIVE has been tested and confirmed as antibacterial by the Microbiology Laboratory of the Catholic University of ValparaÃso. After successful initial trials in Chile, the company began industrial production of the material in the Netherlands, and then commercialized it.
PLACTIVE has already found application in the United States, where Dr. Jorge M. Zuniga, a 3D printing expert and researcher at the University of Nebraska in Omaha, is conducting research on prosthetic fingers for war veterans. Microbiological tests conducted by an independent laboratory in the US have also confirmed PLACTIVE's antibacterial properties.
Copper3D has also been developing a medical material NANOCLEAN, made of high-quality PETG polymer with the addition of copper in concentrations of 2 and 3%, intended for more specific applications in medical devices.
A year after the premiere of PLACTIVE, the company began a research collaboration with NASA, but the real breakthrough came in 2020, when during the C19 pandemic Copper3D presented its antibacterial protective masks - NANOHACK.
Source: www.voxelmatters.com