If made of them masks, then they will be 100 times more reliable than ordinary respirators.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, you will not find medical masks in pharmacies during the day with fire. Despite the fact that the pharmacists began to supply protective dressings, just a couple of hours after the opening - in the shop windows with a rolling ball. Kuban scientists decided to replenish stocks of such an urgent product and take care of maximum protection against the virus this spring. Although the luminaries of science began their development back in 2016. And here she came in handy at the right time!
30-year-old inventor Dmitry Lopatin, together with his fellow scientists, worked on several projects at once. One of them is for water purification. And the ideas of young innovators got interested in India, where there is a shortage of drinking water. The one in the local waters required a thorough cleaning.
As a result, a brainchild was born - a special membrane made of nanowires. They, in turn, are made from chemical elements. Scientists do not lay out all the cards on the table, but nevertheless they reveal the secret - the entire periodic table was not needed - in fact, it is a solution of polymers that are used in everyday life.
- Initially, we took a polymer from the Teflon family as a basis. But it comes out very expensive, so we switched to a more budgetary option, - says to Komsomolskaya Pravda - Kuban, the author of the idea Dmitry Lopatin. - Once we took a cigarette filter for an experiment. It was dissolved and made into nanofibers. Their effectiveness is no worse. And at a cost, this option is one of the most budgetary.
This is how the nanowires look when magnified. Photo: Dmitry LOPATIN.
It takes scientists a couple of minutes to create such nanowires. At first glance it may seem that this is a spider web or cotton candy, from which a thin net is "woven".
- Then in 2016, we were going to use the novofibers as a filter for water, which would cleanse it of harmful substances and bacteria. Having patented the development, we still failed to apply it on an industrial scale, - continues Dmitry Lopatin. - When the spread of coronavirus began in March 2020, we decided to test our development and try to use a membrane for protective masks.
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At first glance, it may seem that it is a spider web or cotton candy. Photo: Dmitry LOPATIN.
For example, kerosene soot particles are the same size as the coronavirus. A series of tests showed that the filter does an excellent job, which means it can protect a person from infection.
- We made disposable filters for respirators. It takes about 5-7 minutes to make it. The prime cost is about 40-50 rubles, - says "KP" - Kuban "Dmitry Lopatin. - I tried these filters on myself. It was interesting to know what the inhalation resistance would be. But I want to tell you, if a person has previously used respirators with conventional filters, then he will not notice any difference.
In the photo on the left, a standard fabric used in medical masks, after filtration, and a material made from nanofilaments. Photo: Dmitry LOPATIN.
Also, the inventors are now working on masks. And they want to make them reusable. But there, according to scientists, there are nuances. Firstly, such a nanomaterial cannot be washed in a conventional machine, scientists use an autoclave (a sealed apparatus for various operations that require heating under pressure above atmospheric - Auth.). And all because the processing must take place at temperatures above 100 degrees. A similar mark can be achieved only by boiling, but here it will be possible to kill bacteria only by 95%. In addition, for maximum protection, the mask should fit very tightly to the face so that there are no gaps between the skin and the material. Now scientists are also working on this.
- We have tested the material used in the manufacture of medical masks. This material is 10 times thicker than what we use. During sneezing, there are larger drops that are perfectly retained by a regular mask. And there are small drops (virus and organic residues - Auth.) That evaporate very quickly in the air. And it is precisely the nanowires that we have developed that allow us to detain them, - adds Dmitry Lopatin.
Now scientists are negotiating with two manufacturers - Krasnodar and Moscow companies. But the most difficult work lies ahead - for the mass production of know-how, it is necessary to obtain all the certificates and permits, the development must be tested, after which it will be assigned a protection class. If the inventors succeed, then this year the residents of Kuban will be able to purchase a new means of protection.
EVGENIYA KHILKO