Study on antibacterial performance of Cu-bearing cobalt-based alloy

The Cu-bearing CoCrWNi alloys with two different Cu contents were designed and fabricated, and their antibacterial performances were preliminarily studied by means of antibacterial test and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation. The corrosion resistances of the alloys were evaluated by polarization tests. The results showed that the Cu-bearing CoCrWNi alloy possessed obvious antibacterial features against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, which was stronger with increase of the Cu content. The Cu-bearing CoCrWNi alloy also showed the ability of inhibiting the formation of bacterial bio-films on its surface, which is a key factor to reduce the infection in clinic. The electrochemical test results showed that the Cu addition slightly increased the corrosion current density of the CoCrWNi alloy, leading to a good antibacterial performance.