Evaluation of the electrochemical behavior and biocidal capacity of alloys from the Cu-Al and Cu-Al-Mn systems for application as surfaces in public areas

• Grant number: 25/01884-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: May 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Physical Metallurgy
• Principal Investigator: Renato Altobelli Antunes
• Grantee: Rodolfo Dal Alva Pinto
• Host Institution: Centro de Engenharia, Modelagem e Ciências Sociais Aplicadas (CECS). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This project aims to evaluate the electrochemical behavior and the biocidal capacity of Cu-Al and Cu-Al-Mn alloys after annealing, quenching, and ageing heat treatments through the following characterization techniques: Differential thermal analysis (DTA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), optical microscopy (OM), quantitative metallography (QM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear polarization (LP), cyclic polarization (CP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and microbiological activity tests based on ISO 22196, JIS Z 2801, and ASTM E-1052 standards. Results will allow evaluating the best combination of chemical composition and heat treatment for the production of surfaces with biocidal capacity for application as surfaces in public areas. Finally, the performance of these alloys will be compared with that of materials available on the market for this purpose.