Advanced Materials Group Haydale is working with IRPC Open Company (IRPC) to further develop functionalized graphene-coated fabrics produced by Haydale for medical and related applications. The fabric has been proven to have antibacterial properties, and according to the agreement between the two, its antiviral properties will be further tested.
The agreement has been signed by Thailand Haydale Technologies (HTT) and IRPC. The agreement is to use Haydale's functional technology to develop potential medical and related applications, and to develop printed smart fabrics based on organic conductivity.
Haydale has developed functional graphene coated fabrics. The Thai Textile Institute (THTI) tested coated fabrics and the results showed that after 10 washings, the antibacterial finishing on the textiles exceeded 99.3% (AATCC TM100: 2012, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC6538 and Escherichia coli DMST 4212 ATCC 25922).
After testing, an agreement has now been signed with IRPC to develop functionalized graphene-coated fabrics for medical uses and related applications. These include the development of new washable functional graphene enhanced fabric masks. The scope of the project will focus on the commercial production of fabrics, and will be further developed to evaluate other fabric characteristics, such as virus filtration efficiency (VFE), ultraviolet protection, and EMC protection.
The value of the global healthcare PPE industry is approximately US$1.7-1.9 billion, and the personal healthcare industry will see tremendous growth. Graphene-coated fabrics will provide additional solutions for the industry. The custom ink developed by Haydale will be used exclusively for commercial purposes. IRPC and HTT firmly believe that this new graphene-coated fabric will be available this year.
Dr. Roman Strauss, Vice President of IRPC, said: "Working with Haydale, we saw a huge opportunity to develop this product quickly within the short time we set." Haydale CEO Keith Broadbent added: "Working with IRPC, we can Respond quickly to current industry needs. It’s great to see these products benefit from our core functionalization process. Especially the antibacterial properties of inks and the role they can play in the production of healthcare PPE. With the global development of personal protective equipment Demand continues to grow, and we expect the project to be well received and look forward to seeing this progress commercialized."