Can this facemask kill COVID-19 with electricity and help us to fight this pandemic?

Can this face-mask kill COVID-19 with electricity and help us to fight this pandemic?

This is the vision of future that two Japanese firms hoping to make reality with e-textile that can reportedly inactivate microorganisms on the spot. The technology is based on the world’s first piezoelectric fabric which is jointly manufactured and developed by Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd. & Teijin Frontier Co. Ltd.

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It is called PIECLEX and it uses Kinetic Energy to generate electricity that helps to zap bacteria and viruses. The two Japanese firms introduce PIECLEX for everything from odor to protective mask.

According to firms, it has been effective on 99.9% of viruses and bacteria that they have tested, further research is going on to curb their proliferation or inactivate them. The firms have lofty goals of engineering textile for use in COVID-19 prevention, but that will take some time to accomplish. After all, chemical and biological protective coatings like PIECLEX are notoriously difficult to engineer – this is not due to lack in technology, but for lack of access to viruses or bacteria in question. According to a research in 2001 in Reactive Coatings Literature Review, antimicrobial textile studies widely rely on surrogates to test their effectiveness.

Bacillus Globigii – a species of black pigmented bacteria is used as analogue for mustard gas; for example. In effect, it becomes much more arduous to ensure the coating will actually stand up against actual chemical and biological that scientists have set out to protect against. Still technologies like Silver-Clear have made it to market. The molecules in the coating contain two types of silver ions that works together to tear away at bacteria wall, destroying it genetic material.

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What is PIECLEX?

It is world’s first piezoelectric fabric which is jointly manufactured and developed by Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd. & Teijin Frontier Co. Ltd. PIECLEX fabric realizes antimicrobial performance by converting motion such as human movement in electricity through piezoelectric effect. PIECLEX also contributes to protect global environment as it uses plant derived polylactic acid (PLA) as its raw material and doesn’t apply chemical agents and solvents.

PIECLEX generates electricity by expansion and contraction by human motions or other motions. This enables antimicrobial and deodorant (antibacterial function which prevents odor generated by bacteria that decomposes sweat and sebum) functions without using chemical agents. PIECLEX is also a carbon neutral and earth friendly.

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What is piezoelectric effect is used in PIECLEX?

Piezoelectric effect is the effect of mechanical strain and electric fields on a material (like quartz crystal); mechanical strain on piezoelectric material will produce polarity in the material, and applying an electric field to a piezoelectric material will create strain within the material. When the pressure is applied to a piezoelectric material a dipole and net polarization are produced in the direction of applied stress. When the crystal is connected to the voltage sources the change in dimensions of the crystal will lead to voltage production which will generate current/electricity. Also if reverse happens i.e. when the voltage lead to change the dimension of crystal the process is called inverse piezoelectric effect. Piezoelectricity has many applications with regards to electrical transducers and signal devices. The same technology is used in making PIECLEX fabric. Here expansion and contraction by human motions will play the role of mechanical strain as stated above.