IIT Delhi Startup Makes Triple-Layered Reusable Face Masks That Costs ?150

With COVID-19 spreading across the world like wildfire the whole world, face masks became truly indispensable and we saw the stocks disappearing in a matter of hours.

While people are making masks out of spare cloth at home, they¡¯re not as effective as N95 masks. And N95 masks aren¡¯t really reusable or machine washable.

Reuters

However, a startup from IIT Delhi has created a cost-effective antimicrobial facemask dubbed NSafe Mask, that is washable and reusable for up to 50 washes. The mask has been developed by Dr Anasuya Roy, an IIT Delhi Alumnus along with Prof Mangala Joshi, Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering at IIT Delhi.

NSafe mask enhances protection to the wearer through three different mechanisms: mechanical filtration, antimicrobial decontamination and repulsion of aerosol droplets.

The mask is making use of a highly-engineered triple-layered fabric consisting of an inner hydrophilic layer for comfort, middle layer for anti-microbial purpose while the outer layer being water and oil repellent.

The mask has 92.2 percent bacterial filtration efficiency at 3 microns. Moreover it is also ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) standard complaint for breathability and splash resistance. The designers have given elastic bands in chin region along with a nose-grab wire for additional secured fit.

India Science Wire

Ansuya Roy explains, ¡°The mask has been designed to maximize durability and dimensional stability, so that the mask can be reused 50 times. Effective reusability is an important factor as single-use masks will cause huge disposal issues.¡±

The masks are dry-cleaned before packaging. After every 8 to 9 hour usage, the mask has to be hand washed in cold water with mild detergent. It is being priced at Rs 299 for a pair of masks, whereas one can also opt for a package with four masks for Rs 589.