Linkedin Twitter
Project name:

A method for preparation of virucidal polymer textile materials and protective respiratory face masks

Status: Idea
Creation date: 20-10-2022

Project objectives:

Short summary A Slovenian research institute has developed an innovative method for treatment of textiles used for virucidal facial masks. The proposed method, based on gaseous plasma pre-treatment, enables uniform coating of textile fibers with a thin film of virucidal substance at small concentration which is benign to humans but effectively inactivates viruses captured by the textile. Partners are sought among the producers of polymer textiles and face masks for technical cooperation and license agreement.

Full description Various materials, especially textiles for medical and hygienic use, aim to improve protection against microorganisms. Face masks from textiles can capture particles and hence provide protection against the spread of microorganisms and diseases caused by pathogenic microbes. Respiratory viruses are usually found in aerosols, i.e., small droplets of water. A reasonable porosity of the mask textile may assure for capturing of droplets and thus the viruses. However, the adsorption of viruses on the untreated textiles, does not cause inactivation. Respiratory viruses can remain active on the surface of various materials for hours or even days. Therefore, there is a need for developing procedures for manufacturing masks that not only assure virus capturing but also inactivation. The main problem in preparation of suitably treated materials that will efficiently inactivate microbes, particularly viruses, is that the active substances have to be diluted due to their toxicity. The diluted substances, however, do not soak the textiles and therefore fail to properly improve virucidal properties of the textile. A Slovenian research institute developed new treatment methods for preparation of virucidal polymer textile materials, suitable for the production of medical and hygienic products such as respiratory face masks, which not only capture but also inactivate respiratory viruses. The treatment process includes the activation of material using plasma, application of a diluted virucidal substance, and drying the textile. The materials suitable for such treatment are woven or non-woven textiles, made from polyethylene, polypropylene, polyesters as well as biodegradable polymers like polylactic acid, most preferably polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The research group has a lot of experience in developing methods for the treatment of various materials and offers expertise in implementation of newly developed treatment method for polymeric textile into industrial setting. The research institute is looking for industrial partners for technical cooperation agreement and license agreement. Industrial partners should be companies that produce polymer textile materials as well as medical and hygienic products such as face masks. Within the technical cooperation agreement, the partner sought shall jointly with Slovenian institute implement the method in the production process. In the case of successful implementation of the method at the production site, partner will be invited to sign technical cooperation agreement and a license agreement.

Advantages and innovations The invention solves the problem of the preparation of suitably treated polymeric textile materials that not only capture viruses by the textile fibers, but also inactivate them. The proposed method enables the usage of virucidal substance in small concentration which is benign to humans but effectively inactivates captured viruses. Polymeric textile fibers are uniformly coated with an extremely thin film of virucidal substance. In the case of multi-layered masks, the textile treated according to the invention is the outermost layer, i.e., the layer that is most distant from the skin of the user. The benefit of invention is also that the shelf time of masks made of thus treated textiles is increased to several days, in comparison to standard masks, which is limited to a few hours.
Contact / source: NEXT EEN Widgets (europa.eu)

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN KNOWING MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT PLEASE REGISTER AS FREE MEMBER OR LOGIN IF ALREADY REGISTERED