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Kobe Steel coating believed effective against SARS

According to Kobe Steel, Tokyo, laboratory testing conducted by Iwate University Associate Professor Norio Hirano found Kobe's nickel-alloy coating Keni Fine reduced the growth of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV, or mouse coronavirus), which is in the same family as the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) coronavirus (CoV).

Experiments examined the coating's effectiveness in decreasing the growth of MHV on stainless steel, as well as the effect of room temperature on incubation time.

The company has licensed the technology to six companies, and five other firms are using it on a trial basis. In the appliance market, the coating currently is being used in air-conditioner parts and refrigerators.