Community Masks - from an Emergency Solution to an Innovation Booster for the Textile Industry

Authors

  • Till Batt Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, CH-9014, St. Gallen, Switzerland
  • Gordon Herwig aEmpa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, CH-9014, St. Gallen, Switzerland
  • Simon Annaheim aEmpa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, CH-9014, St. Gallen, Switzerland
  • Pietro Clement Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Particles-Biology Interactions Laboratory, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, CH-9014, St. Gallen, Switzerland
  • Lea Furrer Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Particles-Biology Interactions Laboratory, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, CH-9014, St. Gallen, Switzerland
  • Cordula Hirsch Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Particles-Biology Interactions Laboratory, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, CH-9014, St. Gallen, Switzerland
  • Vincent Varanges Laboratory for Processing of Advanced Composites (LPAC), Institute of Materials (IMX), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
  • Baris Caglar Laboratory for Processing of Advanced Composites (LPAC), Institute of Materials (IMX), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland; Aerospace Manufacturing Technologies, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Kluyverweg 1, 2629HS, Delft, Netherlands
  • Veronique Michaud Laboratory for Processing of Advanced Composites (LPAC), Institute of Materials (IMX), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
  • Jing Wang Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland; Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Advanced Analytical Technologies, CH-8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
  • Gilles Richner Federal Office for Civil Protection FOCP, Spiez Laboratory, CH-3700, Spiez, Switzerland
  • Peter Wick Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Particles-Biology Interactions Laboratory, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, CH-9014, St. Gallen, Switzerland
  • René M. Rossi aEmpa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, CH-9014, St. Gallen, Switzerland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2022.249

PMID:

38069740

Keywords:

Air permeability, Antiviral facemask, COVID-19 pandemic, Filtration efficiency, Wearing comfort

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in shortages of personal protective equipment and medical devices in the initial phase. Agile small and medium-sized enterprises from regional textile industries reacted quickly. They delivered alternative products such as textile-based community masks in collaboration with industrial partners and research institutes from various sectors. The current mask materials and designs were further improved by integrating textiles with antiviral and antimicrobial properties and enhanced protection and comfort by novel textile/membrane combinations, key factors to increase the acceptance and compliance of mask wearing. The innocuity and sustainability of masks, as well as taking into account particular needs of vulnerable persons in our society, are new fields for textile-based innovations. These innovations developed for the next generation of facemasks have a high adaptability to other product segments, which make textiles an attractive material for hygienic applications and beyond.

Funding data

CHIMIA Vol. 76 No. 3 (2022): Empa - Material Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future

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Published

2022-03-30

Issue

Vol. 76 No. 3 (2022): Empa - Material Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future

Section

Scientific Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2022 Till Batt, Gordon Herwig, Simon Annaheim, Pietro Clement, Lea Furrer, Cordula Hirsch, Vincent Varanges, Baris Caglar, Veronique Michaud, Jing Wang, Gilles Richner, Peter Wick, René Rossi

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

[1]
T. Batt, G. Herwig, S. Annaheim, P. Clement, L. Furrer, C. Hirsch, V. Varanges, B. Caglar, V. Michaud, J. Wang, G. Richner, P. Wick, R. M. Rossi, Chimia 2022, 76, 249, DOI: 10.2533/chimia.2022.249.