Anti-viral material

antiviral material

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an antiviral material that has a high inactivation effect against the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).

Acute respiratory disease (COVID-19), caused by infection with a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in 2019 and is still prevalent worldwide. The new coronavirus is transmitted between humans through droplet infection caused by droplets generated by coughing and sneezing, or contact infection through objects that come into contact with hands, such as doorknobs.

It is recommended to wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth to suppress the spread of droplets generated by coughing and sneezing, and to prevent the new coronavirus from entering the human body through the mouth. It is also recommended to take measures such as installing a partition panel or the like between people facing each other or adjacent to each other in places where eating, drinking, customer service, or meetings are held.

However, if the virus is simply captured by the mask, the virus remains in the mask itself. If the mask body is touched when the mask is removed, the remaining virus may adhere to the hands and enter the human body through the mouth, or may adhere to doorknobs and the like to spread the virus again.

The same is true for the partition panel, and if the virus attached to the panel surface is not removed with alcohol or the like, there is a risk that the virus remaining on the partition panel will spread again.

Conventionally, there has been proposed a mask that uses an anti-influenza virus agent that inactivates the influenza virus in the non-woven fabric of the mask body (for example, Patent Document 1). According to such a mask, the influenza virus trapped in the mask body is inactivated by the anti-influenza virus agent, so re-spreading of the influenza virus can be suppressed.

<p num="0007"><patcit num="1"><text>Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-333271</text></patcit></p>

<p num="0008"> By the way, the influenza virus and the novel coronavirus have a common structural feature of having an envelope. However, it cannot be said that a substance that has an inactivating effect on influenza viruses necessarily has an inactivating effect on the novel coronavirus. In addition, even substances that have an inactivating effect on other coronaviruses (SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV) cannot necessarily be said to have an inactivating effect on the novel coronavirus.</p><p num="0009"> The purpose of the present invention is to provide an antiviral material that has a high inactivation effect against the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and that can be applied to various products for countermeasures against the novel coronavirus. and</p>

<p num="0010"> The inventor of the present application has extensively studied substances that have an inactivating effect against the new coronavirus, and has found that pure copper and some alloys containing copper and zinc have a high inactivating effect against the new coronavirus. got In addition, by forming a thin film of these metals on a base material using a metal film-forming means, it is possible to obtain an antiviral material that has an inactivation effect that is higher than the inactivation effect of these metals themselves and that has a different tendency. I also got the knowledge that</p><p num="0011"> The antiviral material of the present invention comprises a substrate and a metal thin film formed on the substrate, wherein the metal thin film is a metal film formed using pure copper or an alloy containing copper and zinc. It is an antiviral material formed by means.</p>

<p num="0012"> According to the present invention, there is provided an antiviral material that has a high inactivation effect against the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and that can be applied to various products for countermeasures against the novel coronavirus. can be done.</p>

<figref num="1">FIG. 1 is a graph showing the inactivation of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) by copper and copper alloy thin film plates after 10 or 20 minutes.</figref><figref num="2A">FIG. 2A is an enlarged photograph of the spunbond nonwoven before metal deposition.</figref><figref num="2B">FIG. 2B is an enlarged photograph of a spunbond nonwoven fabric subjected to metal vapor deposition.</figref><figref num="3">FIG. 3 is a graph showing the inactivation of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) after 0 and 3 minutes by nonwoven fabrics on which copper and copper alloys are vapor-deposited.</figref><figref num="4">Figure 4 is a graph showing the infectivity titer of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) after 0, 0.5, 1 and 2 minutes after coming into contact with a non-woven fabric coated with a copper alloy (JIS C2100). is.</figref><figref num="5">Figure 5 shows the effect on the inactivation of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) after 0 and 3 minutes when pure copper is vapor-deposited by changing the basis weight (weight per unit area of the non-woven fabric) of the non-woven fabric. is a graph showing</figref><figref num="6">Figure 6 shows the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) after 0 and 3 minutes when a copper alloy (JIS C2600) is vapor-deposited by changing the basis weight (weight per unit area of the non-woven fabric) of the non-woven fabric. 10 is a graph showing the effect on inactivation.</figref><figref num="7">FIG. 7 is a graph showing the inactivation of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) by a polycarbonate plate deposited with a copper alloy (JIS C2100, C2200) after 0, 1 and 3 minutes.</figref><figref num="8">FIG. 8 is a front view of a mask according to Example 4 of the present invention.</figref><figref num="9">9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 8. FIG.</figref><figref num="10">10 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of region B in FIG. 9. FIG.</figref>

An antiviral material according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a substrate and a metal thin film formed on the substrate, wherein the metal thin film is pure copper or an alloy containing copper and zinc. It is formed by the metal film forming means used (first configuration).

According to the above configuration, by using pure copper or an alloy containing copper and zinc to form a metal thin film on the base material by a metal film forming means, the plate-like body of pure copper or an alloy containing copper and zinc It is possible to enhance the inactivation effect against the new coronavirus. Therefore, it is possible to provide an antiviral material that has a high inactivation effect against the novel coronavirus and can be applied to various products for countermeasures against the novel coronavirus.

In the first configuration, of the pure copper or the alloy containing copper and zinc used in the metal film forming means, the pure copper has a Cu content of 99.90 mass% or more, and the alloy contains Cu. Pb content is 0.05 mass% or less, Fe content is 0.05 mass% or less, and the balance is Zn and unavoidable impurities, measured by the plaque method The inactivation effect (Mv) after 3 minutes calculated by the following formula from the infectious titer of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) obtained may be 3.0 or more (second configuration). Inactivation effect (Mv) = log(Ct/C0)-log(Nt/N0) Ct: infection titer after control t hours C0: infection titer 0 hours after control Nt: Infectivity titer after t hours of test product N0: Infectivity titer after 0 hours of test product

According to the above configuration, pure copper or an alloy containing copper and zinc in a predetermined ratio is used to form a metal thin film on the base material by a metal film-forming means, resulting in a high inactivation effect against the new coronavirus. and can be used as an antiviral material that can be applied to various products for measures against the new coronavirus. Specifically, pure copper or an alloy plate containing copper and zinc may not reach an inactivation effect (Mv) of 3.0 against the new coronavirus even after 10 minutes. On the other hand, the antiviral material in which a thin film of these metals is formed on the base material by the metal film-forming means reaches an inactivation effect (Mv) of 3.0 or more after 3 minutes. In this way, a very strong inactivation effect (Mv) can be exhibited against the novel coronavirus.

In the first configuration, the alloy has a Cu content of 94.0 mass% or more and 96.0 mass% or less, a Pb content of 0.05 mass% or less, and an Fe content of 0.05 mass% or less, The remainder may be Zn and inevitable impurities (third configuration).

According to the above configuration, by using a copper-zinc alloy with a Cu content of 94.0 mass% or more and 96.0 mass%, a metal thin film is formed on the base material by a metal film-forming means. It is possible to exhibit a high inactivation effect. Specifically, in a copper-zinc alloy plate with a Cu content of 94.0 mass% or more and 96.0 mass%, the inactivation effect (Mv) against the new coronavirus is less than 3.0 even after 10 minutes. (2.77). On the other hand, when a metal thin film is formed on the substrate using the same alloy by the metal film forming means, the inactivation effect (Mv) reaches 5.0 or more (5.98) after 3 minutes. In this way, a very strong inactivation effect (Mv) can be exhibited against the novel coronavirus.

In the above first configuration, the inactivation effect (Mv) for the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) after 3 minutes is the same metal plate as the metal used in the metal film forming means. It may be higher than the inactivation effect (Mv) after 10 minutes for the (fourth configuration).

According to the above configuration, by using pure copper or an alloy containing copper and zinc to form a metal thin film on the base material by a metal film forming means, it is possible to exhibit a high inactivation effect against the new coronavirus. can. Specifically, the inactivation effect (Mv) against the new coronavirus is less than 3.0 even after 10 minutes with pure copper or an alloy plate containing Cu and Zn in a predetermined ratio. On the other hand, the antiviral material obtained by forming a metal thin film on the base material using the same metal by the metal film-forming means has an inactivation effect (Mv) of 3.0 or more after 3 minutes. In this way, a very strong inactivation effect (Mv) can be exhibited against the novel coronavirus.

In the first configuration, the Cu content is in the range of 94.0 mass% or more and 96.0 mass% or less, the Pb content is 0.05 mass% or less, the Fe content is 0.05 mass% or less, and the balance is Zn and The antiviral material formed using the alloy considered as an unavoidable impurity has an inactivation effect (Mv) against the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) after 3 minutes when the Cu content is 89.0 In the range of mass% to 91.0 mass%, the Pb content is 0.05 mass% or less, the Fe content is 0.05 mass% or less, and the balance is Zn and inevitable impurities. It may be higher than the inactivation effect (Mv) of the antiviral material on the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) after 3 minutes (fifth configuration).

According to the above configuration, by using a copper-zinc alloy with a Cu content of 94.0 mass% or more and 96.0 mass%, a metal thin film is formed on the base material by a metal film-forming means. It is possible to exhibit a high inactivation effect. Specifically, in the alloy plate containing copper and zinc, the inactivation effect (Mv) against the new coronavirus after 10 minutes is 94.0 mass% or more and 96.0 mass% The alloy of copper and zinc with a Cu content of 89.0 mass% to 91.0 mass% has a higher value than the alloy of . On the other hand, in the antiviral material in which a thin film of these metals is formed on the base material by the metal film-forming means, the tendency of the inactivation effect (Mv) against the new coronavirus after 3 minutes changes. A copper-zinc alloy with a Cu content of 94.0 mass% or more and 96.0 mass% has a higher Cu content than a copper-zinc alloy with a Cu content of 89.0 mass% or more and 91.0 mass%.

In any one of the first to fifth configurations above, the base material is a nonwoven fabric, and the lighter the weight per unit area of the nonwoven fabric, the more the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is killed after 3 minutes. (sixth configuration).

According to the above configuration, when the base material is a nonwoven fabric, by selecting a material with a lighter weight per unit area, it is possible to exhibit a higher inactivation effect against the new coronavirus.

In any one of the first to fifth configurations, the base material may be a plate-like body made of a synthetic resin material, and the metal thin film may have a light transmittance of 50% or less (seventh configuration). ).

According to the above configuration, the base material is a plate-shaped body formed of a synthetic resin material, and the light transmittance of the metal thin film formed by the metal film forming means using pure copper or an alloy containing copper and zinc is 50% or less. By doing so, it is possible to produce an antiviral material that exhibits a high inactivation effect against the new coronavirus and allows light to pass through.

A mask may be configured using an antiviral material in which the base material in any one of the first to sixth configurations is a nonwoven fabric (eighth configuration).

According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide a mask that has a high inactivation effect against the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and that can suppress the re-spreading of the novel coronavirus.

A partition may be configured using the antiviral material having any one of the first to seventh configurations (ninth configuration).

According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide a partition that has a high inactivation effect against the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and can suppress the re-spreading of the novel coronavirus.

[Embodiment] The antiviral material according to the present invention is formed by forming a metal thin film on a base material by a metal film forming means using pure copper or an alloy containing copper and zinc.

The base material may be any material to which a metal thin film can be attached, and examples thereof include nonwoven fabrics, synthetic resin panels, and films. In addition, even if the material is difficult to adhere a metal thin film to, it is possible to allow the metal thin film to adhere by painting or pretreatment. Products using antiviral materials include masks, partition panels, face shields, air filters, foot wipe mats, and other products that require antiviral properties against the new coronavirus. As the base material, for example, a non-woven fabric can be selected as a base material for masks. A translucent synthetic resin plate or film can be used as a base material for a partition panel or a face shield.

Nonwoven fabrics are defined in JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards)-L0222 as ``a fiber sheet, web or batt, in which the fibers are oriented in one direction or randomly, and the fibers are bonded by entanglement, fusion, and/or adhesion. What was done. However, excluding paper, woven fabrics, knitted fabrics, tufts and fulled felts. Although the manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric is not limited, nonwoven fabrics suitable for masks include spunbond nonwoven fabrics and meltblown nonwoven fabrics. Paper, woven fabrics, knitted fabrics, tufts, and flattened felts are not included in nonwoven fabrics, but can be used as the base material of the antiviral material of the present invention.

The synthetic resin material is not particularly limited, and any material to which a metal thin film can be attached may be used. For example, polycarbonate or acrylic can be used as the material for the partition panel.

A known metal film-forming means can be used to form the metal thin film on the substrate. The metal film forming means may be either a physical film forming method (Physical Vapor Deposition) or a chemical film forming method (Chemical Vapor Deposition). As a physical film formation method, for example, a method such as vacuum deposition or sputtering can be selected. Vacuum deposition is a means of heating a metal to evaporate or sublimate it in a vacuum to form a metal thin film on a substrate. Metal can be heated by resistance heating or high frequency induction heating. Sputtering is a means of forming a metal thin film on a substrate by ionizing argon gas in a chamber and making it collide with a metal deposition material (target). In this embodiment, the metal thin film is formed by a resistance heating type vacuum vapor deposition means. In order to improve the adhesion of the metal thin film, an undercoat may be applied to the substrate surface, or argon gas may be introduced into the atmosphere for forming the thin film.

The adhesion amount of the metal thin film can be controlled by the film thickness, but since the light transmittance decreases as the adhesion amount of the metal thin film increases, the adhesion amount of the metal thin film can also be controlled by the light transmittance. In this embodiment, a transparent synthetic resin plate is placed together with a base material in a vacuum deposition apparatus, and the amount of metal thin film attached is controlled by measuring the light transmittance (visible light transmittance) of the synthetic resin plate after the deposition process. are doing. In this embodiment, "TLV-304-BP" manufactured by Asahi Spectrosco Co., Ltd. was used as a visible light transmittance measuring instrument, and the visible light transmittance was measured at a measurement wavelength of 550 nm.

[Evaluation of antiviral property] In order to evaluate the antiviral property of the antiviral material according to the embodiment, the antiviral material using nonwoven fabric and polycarbonate as the base material was used to evaluate the inactivation effect against the new coronavirus. . In addition, in order to compare the antiviral properties of the metal material itself and the antiviral properties of the metal thin film, we also evaluated the inactivation effect of copper and copper alloy thin film flat plates (copper and copper alloy plates). rice field.

[Materials] Test virus: Novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2; 2019-nCoV JPN/TY/WK-521 strain) We infected VeroE6 cells with the new coronavirus, collected the cells that confirmed the cytopathic effect, and cryopreserved them in a freezer at -80°C. After repeated freezing and thawing twice, centrifugation was performed, and the supernatant was concentrated and purified by microfiltration and ultrafiltration. - This was used as the test virus solution and was frozen and stored in a -80°C freezer until testing.

[Calculation of Inactivation Effect] The inactivation effect was calculated as follows. Inactivation effect (Mv) = log(Ct/C0)-log(Nt/N0) =logCt/Nt Ct: infection titer after control t hours C0: infection titer 0 hours after control Nt: Infectivity titer after t hours of test product N0: Infectivity titer after 0 hours of test product logCt: Common logarithm of infection titer after control t hours logNt: Common logarithm of infectivity titer after t hours of test article A Mv3.0 is considered to be sufficiently effective (ISO 18184).

[Calculation of reduction rate (%)] The reduction rate was calculated from the logarithmic reduction value (=Mv) as follows. Reduction rate (%) = (1-1/10^(logarithmic reduction value)) x 100

[Comparative example] [Antiviral property test using copper and copper alloy thin film plates] In order to compare with antiviral materials, thin film plates of pure copper and alloys containing copper and zinc (pure copper and copper alloy plates) ) was tested for antiviral properties.

Table 1 shows the kind names and chemical compositions of copper and copper alloys (wrought copper products (JIS products)). C1020 is pure copper and has a Cu content of 99.96 mass% or more, with the remainder being inevitable impurities. In general, copper having a Cu content of 99.90 mass% to 99.95 mass% or more is called pure copper. C2100, C2200, C2600, C2680, and C2810 are alloys containing predetermined proportions of copper and zinc, respectively. C2100 has a Cu content of 94.0 mass% or more and 96.0 mass% or less, a Pb content of 0.05 mass% or less, a Fe content of 0.05 mass% or less, and the balance being Zn and inevitable impurities. ing. Similarly, C2200, C2600, C2680, and C2810 each contain copper and zinc in the proportions shown in Table 1.

<tables num="1"><img file="WO2023281788A1_D0001.tif" /></tables>

[Test method] A 2.5 cm square thin film flat plate (copper or copper alloy plate) was used as the test sample, and a glass plate was used as a control. The test sample was inoculated with 50 μl of the new coronavirus and covered with a 2 cm square film. Protein (Bovine serum albumin) was added to the new coronavirus to be inoculated to make the protein concentration 3 mg/ml, which is the same as saliva. Leave at room temperature for 10 minutes or 20 minutes respectively. After the action time, the virus fluid was recovered with 5 ml of EDTA-containing DMEM medium. VeroE6 cells were infected with the recovered solution, and the virus infectivity titer was measured by the plaque method. After culturing for 3 days, the cells were observed, and the virus infectivity titer and virus inactivation effect were calculated.

The test results of this test are shown below. Table 2 is a table showing the infectivity titer, inactivation effect (Mv), and reduction rate after 10 minutes or 20 minutes of novel coronavirus by copper and copper alloy thin film plates. FIG. 1 is a graph showing inactivation of novel coronavirus by copper and copper alloy thin film plates after 10 or 20 minutes.

<tables num="2"><img file="WO2023281788A1_D0002.tif" /></tables>

As shown in Table 2 and FIG. 1, it was found that the inactivation effect of C2200 (about 90% Cu and about 10% Zn) is relatively high for copper and copper alloy plates. For C2200, it was confirmed that the viral load decreased to below the detection limit after 10 minutes. The inactivation effect (Mv) of C2200 after 10 minutes was 6.31, reaching Mv3.0, which is considered to be sufficiently effective against the novel coronavirus. For pure copper (C1020) and alloys of copper and zinc (C2100, C2600, C2680, and C2810) other than C2200, none of the inactivation effects (Mv) after 10 minutes reached Mv3.0.

For the inactivation effect (Mv) after 20 minutes, C1020, C2100, and C2600, in addition to C2200, reached Mv3.0. However, in C1020, C2100, and C2600, unlike C2200, the viral load did not decrease below the detection limit even after 20 minutes.

From the above, it was found that the inactivation effect of C2200 (Cu about 90%, Zn about 10%) is relatively high in the novel coronavirus inactivation test using thin flat plates (plates) of copper and copper alloys. Pure copper (C1020) and alloys of copper and zinc (C2100, C2600) were also found to have an inactivating effect against the novel coronavirus. It was also found that C2801 (Cu about 60%, Zn about 40%) has the highest inactivating effect against influenza virus, but is inferior to other alloys in its inactivating effect against novel coronavirus.

[Example 1] [Antiviral property test of nonwoven fabric on which copper and copper alloy are vapor-deposited] An antiviral property test was performed on a nonwoven fabric to which a thin film of a metal containing copper or copper and zinc was adhered. The non-woven fabric is a spunbond non-woven fabric, and the basis weight (weight per unit area) of the non-woven fabric is 30g/m²and The metal film forming means was vacuum deposition using a resistance heating method. The adhesion amount (visible light transmittance) of the metal thin film was set to 11%. FIG. 2A is an enlarged photograph of the spunbond nonwoven fabric before metal vapor deposition, and FIG. 2B is an enlarged photograph of the spunbond nonwoven fabric after metal vapor deposition. FIG. 2A shows a state in which the fibers constituting the spunbond nonwoven fabric are randomly entangled. FIG. 2B shows a state in which a metal thin film is attached to each surface of fibers constituting the spunbond nonwoven fabric. Note that the larger the visible light transmittance, the thinner the metal thin film, and the smaller the visible light transmittance, the thicker the metal thin film.

[Test method] The following tests were performed with reference to ISO 18184 (JIS L 1922) "Antiviral test method for textile products". - 0.2 mL of virus solution was dropped onto a 40 mm square test piece and allowed to stand at room temperature for 3 minutes (C2100 was also tested for 0.5 minutes, 1 minute, and 2 minutes). Protein (Bovine serum albumin) was added to the new coronavirus to be inoculated to make the protein concentration 3 mg/ml, which is the same as saliva. After the action time, the test product and 3 to 4 glass beads were added to 5 ml of DMEM medium containing EDTA, and the virus liquid was recovered by stirring with a vortex. VeroE6 cells were infected with the recovered solution, and the virus infectivity titer was measured by the plaque method. After culturing for 3 days, the cells were observed, and the virus infectivity titer and virus inactivation effect were calculated.

The test results of this test are shown below. Table 3 is a table showing the infectivity titer, inactivation effect (Mv), and reduction rate of novel coronavirus after 0 and 3 minutes by the non-woven fabric on which copper and copper alloys are vapor-deposited. FIG. 3 is a graph showing the inactivation of the novel coronavirus after 0 and 3 minutes by a nonwoven fabric on which copper and a copper alloy are vapor-deposited.

<tables num="3"><img file="WO2023281788A1_D0003.tif" /></tables>

As shown in Table 3 and Figure 3, the inactivation effect (Mv) after 3 minutes of the non-woven fabric vapor-deposited with pure copper and copper alloy, and the inactivation after 10 minutes with the same metal thin film plate (plate) When comparing the effect (Mv), it was found that the non-woven fabric vapor-deposited with pure copper and copper alloy had a higher deactivation effect (Mv), with the exception of some copper alloys (C2200). In particular, Cu (C1020, Cu about 99.9%), C2100 (Cu about 95%, Zn about 5%), C2200 (Cu about 90%, Zn about 10%), and C2600 (Cu about 70%, Zn about 30% ), the inactivation effect is very high. The inactivation effect (Mv) of the non-woven fabric with these metal thin films is 4.0 to 5.0 or more after only 3 minutes, reaching Mv 3.0, which is considered to be sufficiently effective against the new coronavirus. ing. For C2680 and C2801, the inactivation effect (Mv) after 3 minutes has not reached Mv3.0, but the effect is close to the inactivation effect (Mv) after 10 minutes by the same alloy plate. (See Table 2).

For Cu (C1020, Cu approx. 99.9%), C2100 (Cu approx. 95%, Zn approx. 5%), and C2600 (Cu approx. 70%, Zn approx. 30%), 10 minutes for thin film plate (plate) While the inactivation effect (Mv) against the new coronavirus is less than 3.0 even after that (see Table 2), the antiviral material formed by forming a metal thin film on the base material using the same metal by metal film-forming means After 3 minutes, the inactivation effect (Mv) reached 3.0 or more, demonstrating a very strong inactivation effect (Mv) against the new coronavirus.

Regarding C2200 (Cu about 90%, Zn about 10%), the inactivation effect (Mv) for the new coronavirus after 10 minutes was 3.0 or more (6.31) in the thin film plate (plate) ( See Table 2), the antiviral material formed a metal thin film on the base material using C2200 by the metal film-forming method, the inactivation effect (Mv) reached 3.0 or more (5.10) after 3 minutes, and the metal thin film Even in this state, it exhibits a very strong inactivation effect (Mv) against the new coronavirus.

For C2100 (Cu about 95%, Zn about 5%), the inactivation effect (Mv) after 10 minutes is less than 3.0 (2.77), and the inactivation effect after 20 minutes is (Mv) is 5.32 (see Table 2). On the other hand, when C2100 is used to form a metal thin film on the nonwoven fabric, the inactivation effect (Mv) reaches 5.0 or more (5.98) after 3 minutes, which is higher than the inactivation effect (Mv) of the metal plate itself. It exhibits a very strong inactivation effect (Mv) against coronaviruses.

Comparing C2100 (Cu about 95%, Zn about 5%) and C2200 (Cu about 90%, Zn about 10%), the inactivation effect (Mv) after 10 minutes is C2200 exerts the highest effect at 6.31 while C2100 does not reach Mv3.0 at 2.77 (see Table 2). That is, in the state of a thin film plate (plate-like body), the inactivation effect (Mv) tends to be C2100&lt;C2200. However, the non-woven fabrics vapor-deposited with C2100 and C2200 had inactivation effects (Mv) after 3 minutes of C2100 (Mv=5.98) and C2200 (Mv=5.10), respectively. In other words, when C2100 and C2200 are vapor-deposited, the tendency of the inactivation effect (Mv) against the new coronavirus changes, C2100 &gt; C2200, and it was found that C2100 exhibits the highest inactivation effect.

Here, we describe a shorter-term antiviral test with C2100 (about 95% Cu, about 5% Zn) vapor-deposited nonwoven fabric. Table 4A is a table showing the infectivity value, inactivation effect (Mv), and reduction rate of novel coronavirus after 0 and 0.5 minutes by nonwoven fabrics on which a copper alloy (JIS C2100) is vapor-deposited. Table 4B is a table showing the infectivity value, inactivation effect (Mv), and reduction rate of the novel coronavirus after 1 minute and 2 minutes by the nonwoven fabric on which a copper alloy (JIS C2100) is vapor-deposited. FIG. 4 is a graph showing the infectivity titer of the novel coronavirus after 0, 0.5, 1 and 2 minutes after contact with a non-woven fabric on which a copper alloy (JIS C2100) was vapor-deposited.

<tables num="4A"><img file="WO2023281788A1_D0004.tif" /></tables>

<tables num="4B"><img file="WO2023281788A1_D0005.tif" /></tables>

As shown in Tables 4A, 4B, and Figure 4, when C2100 was used to form a metal thin film on the nonwoven fabric, the inactivation effect (Mv) against the new coronavirus was 2.76 after 0.5 minutes, and the virus was The amount is reduced by 99.9979% and the inactivation effect (Mv) is 4.69, reaching Mv3.0. After only 2 minutes, the viral load reached the limit of detection with an inactivation effect (Mv) of 5.98. Thus, it was found that an antiviral material in which a metal thin film is formed on a nonwoven fabric using C2100 can exhibit an extremely strong inactivation effect (Mv) against the new coronavirus.

[Example 2] [Antiviral test by changing the thickness (basis weight) of the nonwoven fabric] A thin film of pure copper or an alloy containing copper and zinc was formed by changing the thickness (basis weight/weight per unit area) of the nonwoven fabric used as the base material. It was attached to form an antiviral material and tested for antiviral properties. The nonwoven fabric is a spunbond nonwoven fabric, and the basis weight (weight per unit area) of the nonwoven fabric is 20 (g/m²), 30 (g/m²), 40 (g/m²). The thickness of the nonwoven fabric increases as the basis weight of the nonwoven fabric increases. The metal film forming means was vacuum deposition using a resistance heating method. The adhesion amount (visible light transmittance) of the metal thin film was set to 11%.

[Test method] [Nonwoven fabric] The following tests were performed with reference to ISO 18184 (JIS L 1922) "Antiviral test method for textile products". 0.2 mL of virus solution was dropped onto a 40 mm square test sample and left at room temperature for 3 minutes. Protein (Bovine serum albumin) was added to the new coronavirus to be inoculated to make the protein concentration 3 mg/ml, which is the same as saliva. After the action time, the test product and 3 to 4 glass beads were added to 5 ml of DMEM medium containing EDTA, and the virus liquid was recovered by stirring with a vortex. VeroE6 cells were infected with the recovered solution, and the virus infectivity titer was measured by the plaque method. After culturing for 3 days, the cells were observed, and the virus infectivity titer and virus inactivation effect were calculated.

The test results of this test are shown below. Table 5 shows the infection titer, inactivation effect (Mv), and inactivation effect (Mv) of the new coronavirus after 0 and 3 minutes when copper (JIS C1020) and copper alloy (JIS C2600) are vapor-deposited by changing the weight of the nonwoven fabric. and a table showing the rate of decrease. FIG. 5 is a graph showing the effect on the inactivation of the new coronavirus after 0 and 3 minutes when pure copper (JIS C1020) is vapor-deposited on non-woven fabrics with different basis weights. FIG. 6 is a graph showing the effect on the inactivation of the novel coronavirus after 0 and 3 minutes when a copper alloy (JIS C2600) is vapor-deposited on a non-woven fabric with different basis weights.

<tables num="5"><img file="WO2023281788A1_D0006.tif" /></tables>

As shown in Table 5 and Figure 5, the inactivation effect (Mv) of the non-woven fabric with a metal thin film attached by Cu (C1020, Cu about 99.9%) and C2600 (Cu about 70%, Zn about 30%) is , regardless of the basis weight of the non-woven fabric, it reached 3.0 to 5.0 or more after just 3 minutes, reaching Mv 3.0, which is considered to be sufficiently effective against the new coronavirus.

Regarding Cu (C1020, about 99.9% Cu), the infectivity of the nonwoven fabric with a basis weight of 20 reached the detection limit in just 3 minutes. The infectivity titers of the nonwoven fabrics with basis weights of 30 and 40 did not reach the detection limit in 3 minutes, and the infectivity titer with basis weight of 30 was lower than that with basis weight of 40, and the inactivation effect (Mv) was also higher.

For C2600 (Cu about 70%, Zn about 30%), none of the nonwoven fabrics of any basis weight reached the detection limit after 3 minutes. Infectivity decreased in the order of 20, 30, and 40 basis weights, and the inactivation effect (Mv) also increased.

Regarding the relationship between the basis weight of the non-woven fabric and the inactivation effect (Mv), in the case of Cu (C1020, Cu about 99.9%), in the case of C2600 (Cu about 70%, Zn about 30%), inactivation after 3 minutes Effectiveness (Mv) is 20&gt;30&gt;40. In other words, when the base material is a nonwoven fabric, a higher inactivation effect against the novel coronavirus can be exhibited by selecting a material with a lighter weight per unit area.

[Example 3] [Antiviral property test of a synthetic resin plate on which a copper alloy is vapor-deposited] An antiviral property test was performed on a synthetic resin plate to which a thin film of a metal containing copper and zinc was adhered. The material of the synthetic resin plate was polycarbonate. The metal film forming means was vacuum deposition using a resistance heating method. The adhesion amount (visible light transmittance) of the metal thin film was set to 50%. When the visible light transmittance is 50%, the back side can be seen through the synthetic resin plate.

[Test method] [Polycarbonate] The test was conducted as follows according to ISO21702. A 5 cm square copper alloy vapor-deposited polycarbonate was used as the test piece. The test sample was inoculated with 150 μl of the new coronavirus and covered with a 4 cm square film. Leave at room temperature for 1 minute or 3 minutes, respectively. After the action time, the virus fluid was recovered with 5 ml of EDTA-containing DMEM medium. VeroE6 cells were infected with the recovered solution, and the virus infectivity titer was measured by the plaque method. After culturing for 3 days, the cells were observed, and the virus infectivity titer and virus inactivation effect were calculated.

The test results of this test are shown below. Table 6 shows the infectivity titer, inactivation effect (Mv), and reduction rate of the novel coronavirus after 0, 1, and 3 minutes by a polycarbonate plate deposited with a copper alloy (JIS C2100, C2200). It is a table showing FIG. 7 is a graph showing the inactivation of novel coronavirus by a polycarbonate plate deposited with a copper alloy (JIS C2100, C2200) after 0, 1 and 3 minutes.

<tables num="6"><img file="WO2023281788A1_D0007.tif" /></tables>

As shown in Table 6 and Figure 7, the inactivation effect (Mv) after 3 minutes of a polycarbonate plate vapor-deposited with a copper alloy (C2100, C2200) and the 10 A comparison of the deactivation efficiencies (Mv) after minutes (see Table 2) revealed that for C2100, the vapor-deposited polycarbonate plates had higher deactivation efficiencies (Mv).

For C2100 (Cu about 95%, Zn about 5%), the amount of virus decreased by 99.9932% after just 1 minute, and the inactivation effect (Mv) reached 4.0 or more (4.17), which is sufficient for the new coronavirus. Mv3.0 was considered effective. After 3 minutes, the virus amount was reduced to below the detection limit, and the inactivation effect (Mv) was 5.0 or more (5.21).

For C2200 (Cu approx. 90%, Zn approx. 10%), after 3 minutes, the amount of virus was confirmed to be reduced to below the detection limit, and the inactivation effect (Mv) reached 5.0 or more (5.21), indicating a new type of virus. Mv 3.0, which is considered to be sufficiently effective against coronavirus.

In this way, according to the inactivation test of the new coronavirus using a polycarbonate plate on which copper alloy (C2100, C2200) is vapor-deposited, even if the amount of deposited metal thin film is small (visible light transmittance of 50%), Regardless, the result was that a sufficient inactivation effect was obtained against the new coronavirus in just 3 minutes.

[Example 4] [Mask using antiviral material] The antiviral material of the present invention described above has a very high inactivation effect against the novel coronavirus. An example of a mask constructed using the antiviral material of the present invention will be described below.

First, the overall configuration of the mask 100 will be described. FIG. 8 is a front view of a mask according to Example 4 of the present invention. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of region B in FIG. 9. FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the mask 100 includes a mask body 10, a shape-retaining member 30, and ear hooks 50. As shown in FIG. The mask 100 of this embodiment is a so-called pleated mask. The mask body 10 is a member that covers a predetermined area of the user's face (for example, an area including the nose and mouth) by spreading the pleats (folds) 25 for use.

The mask body 10 is constructed by laminating three layers of nonwoven fabrics, namely, a surface layer 21, an intermediate layer 22, and a back layer 23 (see FIG. 10). The surface layer 21, the intermediate layer 22, and the back layer 23 are formed with a plurality of pleats 25 extending in the left-right direction in a laminated state. The upper, lower, left and right sides of surface layer 21, intermediate layer 22, and back layer 23 are fixed by welded portions 27. As shown in FIG.

When the user wears the mask 100 on the face, the surface layer 21 of the mask 100 is arranged on the side opposite to the face, and the back layer 23 of the mask 100 is arranged on the face side. The surface layer 21 uses the antiviral material according to the present invention.

The antiviral material uses a non-woven fabric as the base material, selects pure copper that has a high inactivation effect against the new coronavirus, or an alloy containing copper and zinc, and applies a metal thin film to the base material by metal film-forming means. It can be configured by forming.

The intermediate layer 22 is a layer that traps viruses, bacteria, etc. inside the surface layer 21 . A meltblown nonwoven fabric can be used as the intermediate layer 22 . The back layer 23 is a nonwoven fabric layer that is placed on the user's face while the mask 100 is worn by the user. Since the back layer 23 comes into contact with the user's face, it is preferable to use a highly flexible nonwoven fabric.

The thickness of the non-woven fabric constituting the surface layer 21, the intermediate layer 22, and the back layer 23 is not particularly limited. , VFE (Viral Filtration Efficiency) is preferably 99% or more, respectively, to select the nonwoven fabrics constituting the surface layer 21, the intermediate layer 22, and the back layer . PFE is the collection efficiency of particles with a size of about 0.1 μm, BFE is the collection efficiency of particles containing bacteria with a size of about 0.3 μm, and VFE is the collection efficiency of particles containing viruses with a size of about 0.1 μm to 5.0 μm. It shows the collection rate.

The shape-retaining material 30 is a member that retains the shape of the mask body 10 . In this embodiment, as the shape-retaining member 30, a first shape-retaining member 31 and a second shape-retaining member 32 are provided.

The first shape-retaining material 31 is arranged near the upper side of the mask body 10 and held between the folded nonwoven fabrics (the surface layer 21, the intermediate layer 22, and the back layer 23) (see FIG. 10). . The first shape retaining member 31 is a member also called a nose fitter.

The second shape-retaining member 32 is arranged near the center of the mask body 10 in the vertical direction, and held between the surface layer 21 and the intermediate layer 22 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The second shape-retaining member 32 is a member for keeping the shape of the mask body 10 curved so that the central portion of the mask body 10 is less likely to come into contact with the face when the mask body 10 is placed on the face of the user. is.

The antiviral material according to the present invention can be used as the shape-retaining material 30 (31, 32). In this case, resin such as polypropylene, metal such as aluminum, or a combination of resin and metal is used as the base material. Pure copper, which has a high inactivation effect against the new coronavirus, or an alloy containing copper and zinc is selected and used, and an antiviral material is used by forming a metal thin film on the substrate by metal film-forming means. A shape-retaining member 30 (31, 32) can be configured.

The ear hook portion 50 is a member that is hooked on the ear (auricle) to fix the mask body 10 to the wearer's face when the user wears the mask 100 on the face. The ends of the ear hooks 50 are attached to the sides of the mask body 10 by welds 28 .

The antiviral material according to the present invention can be used for the ear hook portion 50 . In this case, for example, the substrate can be a stretchable woven fabric. For example, it is possible to use a fabric structure in which the warp and the weft are woven by tubular weaving and the front and back structures are connected with rubber threads. By adopting a fabric structure using high-count yarns for the warp yarns, the ear hooks 50 are soft and pleasant to the touch. Therefore, the mask 100 that does not cause ear pain even when the mask is worn for a long time can be provided. In addition, the base material of the antiviral material may be a woven fabric, or the fibers constituting the woven fabric may be used as the base material of the antiviral material.

According to the mask described above, it is possible to provide a mask that has a high inactivation effect against the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and that can suppress the re-spreading of the novel coronavirus.

[Example 5] [Partition using antiviral material] An example of a partition constructed using the antiviral material of the present invention will be described.

Partitions are installed between people who face each other or are adjacent to each other in a place where eating, drinking, customer service, or meetings are held. Partitions can take various forms, such as a freestanding type, a hanging type, a panel-like hard type, and a sheet-like flexible type.

When applying the antiviral material according to the present invention to a partition, a translucent synthetic resin plate or film can be used as the base material. Note that the partition does not necessarily have to be transparent, and a translucent or opaque partition can be used as necessary.

The metal thin film attached to the base material may be attached to both sides of the base material, or may be attached to only one side. The amount of metal thin film attached is determined so as to satisfy both the required light transmittance and the inactivation effect against the novel coronavirus. The light transmittance may be 50%, which is used in Example 3, or if necessary, the light transmittance may be increased by reducing the amount of metal thin film attached, or by increasing the amount of metal thin film attached. The light transmittance may be lowered by

A metal thin film may be formed in a gradation so that the light transmittance is changed depending on the part of the partition. In this case, the light transmittance may be set high for a portion that needs to be visually recognized through the partition, and the light transmittance may be set low for the other portions. In this case, it is possible to achieve both visibility and an inactivation effect against the novel coronavirus.

Acrylic is generally used as a material for the partition panel, but it is preferable to use polycarbonate as the base material for the antiviral material because acrylic does not easily adhere to metal thin films. Alternatively, the surface of the substrate may be roughened (roughened) with argon gas to facilitate adhesion of the metal thin film.

According to the partition described above, it is possible to provide a partition that has a high inactivation effect against the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and can suppress the re-spreading of the novel coronavirus.

[Modification] The antiviral material according to the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. In the embodiment, the pure copper and copper-zinc alloy used for the metal film formation are JIS standard products, but are not limited to these. Pure copper and alloys of copper and zinc specified in the present invention can be used for metal deposition.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-described embodiments are merely examples for carrying out the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented by appropriately modifying the above-described embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention.

Industrial field of application

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is applicable to antiviral materials that have a high inactivation effect against the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).