coppertalk

By Bob Weed, Copper Development Association Vice President, OEM

Hybrid vehicles use a gasoline or diesel engine to power a motor. When the power of the motor isn’t required to move the vehicle, the engine can shut off, saving energy, or can be used to generate electricity that is stored in batteries, and used later to power the vehicle. Bob Weed, vice president of original equipment manufacturing for the Copper Development Association (CDA), weighs in.

The hot topic right now in the auto industry is alternative forms of propulsion. The internal combustion engine has been around for 100 years and has done a great job, but there is constant talk about doing something to decouple our economy from imported oil. And the government, depending on your point of view, is either encouraging us to go to different propulsion methods or mandating it.

The bottom line is the government is trying to enable us to change from using only petroleum products and internal combustion engines. And the public is interested. You see more hybrids on the roads, even with the relative retreat from the high gas prices we saw two years ago.

We’re going to see some exciting things coming out of the auto industry and that’s good for copper. Anything that involves electricity uses copper as an enabler. The average vehicle produced in North America has 50-55 pounds of copper in it, with more than half of that in the wire harness and electrical components. In a pure electric vehicle, the amount of copper is tripled, from 150-180 pounds. I often joke with people who say they’re looking forward to having an electric car someday. I tell them they are already using electric cars – they just don’t realize that the gasoline engine is actually generating electricity.

Look at a typical vehicle today. It has power seats, doors, locks and windows and more than a simple AM radio. It usually has a CD player that holds multiple discs, and interfaces for iPods, MP3 players and navigation systems. There are all kinds of lights in a vehicle that indicate if there’s a problem. There’s a lot that’s different from the days when I started driving. I had a fuel gauge and one red Check Engine light. All these changes and improvements are the result of new preferences and demands by consumers. And changes will continue to be driven by the consumer.

In a recent presentation at a Center for Automotive Research (CAR) briefing breakfast, Dr. Christopher Borroni-Bird, the director of advanced technology vehicle concepts for General Motors, reported that global demographics are changing.  People are more likely to live in urban areas, rather than rural. That means most traffic congestion comes from bottlenecks (40%) and traffic accidents (25%), which wastes a considerable amount of fuel. He also said that in dense urban centers, more than a third of gasoline is consumed looking for parking. Obviously, drivers are going to look for ways to reduce the amount of gasoline they use. And since more than 80% of drivers travel only 50 miles a day or less, electric and hybrid vehicles will become more attractive for consumers.

By Dale Powell, Copper Development Association, Project Manager and Piping Applications Specialist

Dale Powell provides information for a wide range of industries regarding copper plumbing, pipefitting and process piping applications.  Prior to joining CDA 15 years ago, he was a UA Pipefitter and Master Plumber as well as an Estimator/Project Manager for a large mechanical contracting firm in Harrisburg, PA.   He received his education at Harrisburg Area Community College, Penn State and the University of Kentucky. 

When specifying materials for a project, contractors have to weigh the issues of affordability versus quality.  Copper costs more than many other materials to start with, but its advantages are significant, especially when you look at them in light of the move toward what most people call “green” building.  A contractor pursuing LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification will find lots of benefits to using copper piping. 

Copper has some phenomenally great characteristics for green building.  To begin with, it’s a 100% recyclable material.  The process for most of our tube and fitting manufacturers involves the use of scrap (roofing, wire, cable, strip plate, bar), which is commonly 99.96% copper.  In fact, about 85-90% of the copper tube put in today is from re-used scrap.  You hardly ever see copper tube or other copper products in a landfill or dump but often see plastic tubing going to the dump.  Another strong case for copper piping is that it’s extremely long-lasting.  You can reliably figure that the piping you put into a building will last longer than the building itself.  There again, the copper remains available and serviceable after many other materials have deteriorated.  It simply gets melted down and re-formed for other uses.  Copper doesn’t burn, so it can be installed in open plenums without adding to the smoke load.  Sun exposure isn’t an issue, either, so you can store the piping anywhere.  If you leave PVC or cross-link polyethylene PEX materials out in the sun, stacked at a building site, for example, they can be adversely affected by the sunlight. 

There are many green building projects throughout the United States, many of them award-winning.  And there will continue to be more and more as contractors understand that specifying copper is one of the smartest, greenest choices you can make.

Adam Estelle, guest blogger

By Adam Estelle, Copper Development Association, Inc. Project Engineer, Materials Science

Adam Estelle received his bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Arizona.  He joined the CDA in August of 2008 and works primarily on the Public Health Initiative promoting the antimicrobial properties of copper-based metals. 

Of all the exciting opportunities I’ve had with the Copper Development Association (CDA), the Annual Meeting is by far the most intriguing.  Industry giants from across the country gather every December to learn about emerging markets and get the latest news on copper’s role in applications ranging from plumbing to architecture to antimicrobial.  It’s quite inspiring to witness an industry come together as a whole and combine insight and experience to overcome collective challenges.

During December’s meeting, I presented new opportunities brought about by the EPA registration of copper as an antimicrobial and summarized CDA activity in the supply chain.  Ever since the EPA registered copper as an antimicrobial, we’ve been working with members to:

• strengthen awareness of the antimicrobial effort
• provide information about the science behind the EPA registration
• assist with new product development
• bring copper products to market with health claims

Once product manufacturers understand the science behind the antimicrobial message, and the large socioeconomic burden of healthcare-associated infections, they see the potential for copper touch surfaces used in products like door knobs, work stations, hand rails and IV poles.  CDA then points them to our membership to help find a supplier of antimicrobial copper.  As the process evolves, more and more suppliers will register with the EPA so they can market their products with public health claims.  As stewards of the EPA registration, CDA also helps product manufacturers convey the antimicrobial message accurately and responsibly. 

From scientific studies to marketing support, CDA is proactive throughout every step of the exciting process.  The Winter Meeting was a great opportunity to show our membership how we’re helping the pieces come together.  Since December, we’ve received more and more phone calls and emails from fabricators and manufacturers who want to move to the next level. That’s great news, because it will generate business for CDA members and help foster this young market.

By Wilton Moran, Copper Development Association Project Engineer, Material Sciences 

Wilton Moran is a member of CDA’s Technical Services Team, providing direct technical support to copper alloy end-users, and managing critical copper and copper alloy data and property information.  The team also manages other CDA programs, including the Public Health Initiative, which encompasses the registration of copper alloys with the EPA, and other projects that don’t fall under traditional product areas.

For years infection control programs in hospitals, outpatient clinics, long-term care facilities, doctors’ offices and ambulances have employed two main methods to kill bacteria in the environment and reduce their transmission:  hand washing and regular cleaning and disinfection of surfaces.  Now that the Environmental Protection Agency has registered copper and its alloys as antimicrobial touch surfaces, copper has emerged as a strong third weapon to supplement these two traditional infection control practices. 

Many hospital-acquired infections are the result of the transfer of pathogens.  The pathogens can be acquired from frequently-touched surfaces as well as from the patients themselves.  Currently, most hospital touch surfaces are made of stainless steel, aluminum, wood, or plastic, which have no inherent effect in controlling pathogens.  Hand washing and regular surface cleaning are essential, but the addition of touch surfaces that are inherently antimicrobial would make these practices even more effective.  Enter antimicrobial copper alloy surfaces. Think of copper bed rails, door handles, IV poles and more.  In short, if the bacteria* are killed before they get a chance to build up and grow on the surface, there will be less available.  Copper surfaces must be cleaned like any other surfaces, but their use can substantially improve infection control efforts. 

The EPA regulates sanitizers and disinfectants being used in homes, schools, medical facilities, etc.  Just as those products are first tested in the lab, copper has been similarly tested and proven effective*.Copper surfaces should be used to supplement these products, not as a replacement, by killing bacteria* between routine cleaning and disinfection.

By Wilton Moran, Copper Development Association Project Engineer, Material Sciences 

Wilton Moran is a member of CDA’s Technical Services Team, providing direct technical support to copper alloy end-users, and managing critical copper and copper alloy data and property information.  The team also manages other CDA programs, including the Public Health Initiative, which encompasses the registration of copper alloys with the EPA, and other projects that don’t fall under traditional product areas.

When I joined the CDA I pretty much concentrated on the antimicrobial copper project. The EPA’s registration of copper, brass and bronze as antimicrobial materials with public health claims was a breakthrough not only for our industry, but for a variety of industries, especially health care.  But the approval was hardly an overnight process. 

One of the things my team is currently doing is helping copper and copper alloy fabricators and manufacturers of end-use products legally market antimicrobial copper products with public health claims. The EPA is not in the business of helping companies get products to market. They exist to help ensure there’s sound science behind products that make health claims.  The fact that copper and its alloys are solid presented a unique issue for them.  The office within EPA that we are dealing with usually registers other forms of antimicrobial substances, like liquids, gases and powders, but applying the rules to solid materials was a different matter, so a lot of uncharted territory had to be covered. They’re also used to approving a specific amount of an active ingredient, but we registered a range of alloys with 60-99.9% copper.  Our experts worked with the EPA throughout the process, asking questions and helping find precedents for different aspects of our situation.  As a lot of people now know, the process was completed early in 2008 with five EPA registrations for copper and copper alloys. 

There’s nothing more powerful than EPA registration for giving your product credibility. It is also illegal to make public claims without EPA registration.  Six alloy fabricators have already obtained EPA registrations:  PMX Industries, Cerro Flow Products, Revere Copper Products, Brush Wellman, Chase Brass and Copper Company, and Olin Brass.  I’m sure we’ll be seeing more very soon.

By Joe Gorsuch, Copper Development Association Manager of Health & Environmental Sciences

Joe Gorsuch works with environmental regulations and the collection of ecotox data.  For 30 years prior to joining the CDA in March, 2009, he worked with Kodak, conducting environmental effects and fate field and lab studies to register chemicals for the photographic industry.  From 2005 to 2009 he was President and Owner of Gorsuch Environmental Managements Services, Inc. [GEMS, Inc.] coordinating environmental studies.  He holds an undergraduate degree in Wildlife Biology and a master’s degree in Environmental Sciences, focusing on Aquatic Toxicology, both from Purdue University. 

Before I joined the CDA, I led the research program on silver at Kodak.  I was with the company for three decades and had amassed quite a body of work.  The experience and contacts I gained are invaluable, and I’m sure that was one of the reasons I was offered the position at the CDA.  Silver and copper aren’t the same programs, but the science is essentially identical and my background was a great fit. 

This past November, I was proud to receive the 2009 International Imaging Industry Association (I3A) Achievement Award (I3A is the leading global association and an accredited Standards Developing Organization for the imaging industry) for my work at Kodak and as an independent consultant in leading the 16-year silver environmental research program.  Here is a description of the award:

The I3A Achievement Award annually recognizes, encourages and celebrates outstanding accomplishment by an individual who has provided significant contributions to the advancement or growth of the imaging industry, through participation in I3A in either Standards and Initiatives or Advocacy.

It’s rewarding to know that my long career has led to others recognizing me.  I really feel great about it.  But I can’t take all the credit because of course I had colleagues helping me along the way.  Both at Kodak and the CDA, I’ve had the opportunity to work with world-class researchers and government regulatory people, and to build relationships based on mutual trust.  After leaving Kodak, there was kind of a void.  Although I was doing some exciting environmental consulting work, I wasn’t able to keep doing all the work I had been doing previously, in particular coordinating a major research program.  So I was very excited to get this opportunity with the CDA to bring my experience and knowledge to work on copper with some of the researchers I had collaborated with previously.  As I said earlier, the science is essentially identical.  But we’re now doing copper studies that I never had the occasion to do with silver, including marine studies that are far more advanced, in addition to marine sediment studies that I’m helping to coordinate, which is always exciting.  Anytime you get to be a pioneer, it’s exciting.