IIT Mandi Makes Face Masks From Plastic Bottles To Fight COVID-19 & Plastic Waste

With COVID-19 taking a tighter grip on our lives, most of us have resorted to wearing surgical or regular face masks.

While it¡¯s great that people are using reusable face masks, some are using those that lose their effectiveness in a few weeks, which lands in a waste dump, contributing to our plastic waste problems.

Reuters

However, to combat this, researchers at IIT Mandi have developed a technology to make face masks from plastic waste like pet bottles that are not only more breathable than the masks that are currently available in the market but also reusable by simply washing them for up to 30 times.

Making masks from plastic waste

Ashish Kakoria, a research scholar and one of the team members, said, "These ultrafine fibres allow less resistance in airflow due to a unique phenomenon called 'slip flow' which improves breathability. Moreover, the thrown away PET bottles can be put to good use using this technique."

Sumit Sinha Ray an assistant professor at IIT Mandi states that the team used plastic bottles to develop a single thin layer of nano-nonwoven membrane that is able to offer desirable particle filtration efficiency -- as good as an N95 respirator.

He explained, "The first concern that comes to mind when we hear that something is made of plastic is whether it is safe to use. These nanofibres meet the safety requirements of the user by excluding the bacteria and infectious components. The breathability in the developed masks is better than the commercially available masks.¡±

TOI

Scaling up mask production

He added, "At the laboratory scale, the material cost for the mask was around Rs 25 per piece. However, during the commercial manufacturing stage, its cost will be nearly halved. The mask can be washed and reused up to 30 times."

According to Ray, nanofibers are perfect for developing masks as they can filter out small particles effectively without impacting the breathing for the wearer. Moreover, the team also states that the masks don¡¯t require any additional protocol to be followed for its disposal.