Anti-covid fabric graphene-based developed by Technow

Posted 19 November 2020

The graphene-based fabric developed by the Swiss company Technow has obtained the antiviral certification with focus on Covid-19. The fabric has been developed with the extrusion of graphene during the yarn production phase, and thanks to the unique conductive and antiviral properties of the nanomaterial the textile is able to kill the virus deposited on it, as the company states, ensuring protection against its transmission and contamination.

The tested material is a knitwear fabric, easily used in clothing, with a composition of 90% rayon made with a 2.5% of graphene and a 10% of elastomer. The test was carried out in compliance with the ISO 18184:2019 certification standard, inoculating the virus, in this case Covid-19, into the fabric and then checking its survival two hours later. The fabric passed the test with a 98.83% reduction in viral load. It seems thus that graphene, even applied in the percentage of 2%, gives the fabric intrinsic antiviral properties.

Possible interesting applications are in the creation of a yarn which, simply through the addition of graphene and without any type of chemical treatment (antibacterial or antiviral), would allow the production of fabrics which are fully washable and can maintain their thermal and antiviral properties during the time. This result opens a new frontier in the use of fabrics to contain infection: for example, for masks, scarves or jacket collars, and fabrics for furnishings or vehicle seat covers.

Thanks to this result, Technow has already started collaborating with various companies to produce the first antiviral fabrics.