Zinc-containing nylon fabric can inactivate new coronavirus and influenza A

Houston, September 18, 2021/PRNewswire/ - A team of multinational scientists and engineers from the University of Cambridge, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, ResInnova Labs and Ascend Performance Materials discovered that a nylon fabric containing zinc ions was successfully inactivated 99% of the viruses that can cause new coronary pneumonia and common flu

Illustrate the active suspension of zinc ions in the nylon polymer matrix

Masks, protective clothing and filters can be used to slow the spread of the virus

"The main challenge is absorption and inactivation," said Dr.

There are also problems with cotton, Dr.

In the paper published in ACS Applied Materials Interface, the researchers described how a fabric made of zinc-containing nylon 66 can absorb viruses that contain moisture and effectively inactivate these particles

The research team was also able to prove that nylon containing active zinc ions remained stable for a period of time and maintained its virus-inactivating properties after 50 washes

"This study shows that zinc-containing nylon fabric is superior to the widely used cotton and polypropylene materials in terms of virus absorption and inactivation," said Dr.

The findings of this study have a significant impact on the future development of PPE, said Dr.

Gopal said: "Pathogen-free PPE can not only reduce the risk of virus transmission," PPE can also be cleaned and reusable, which can reduce the need for disposable products and reduce the need to land hundreds of millions of masks in landfills

Source: Ascend Performance Materials