Functionalization of Bacterial Cellulose filters for PPE
Researchers at the West Pomeranian University of Technology began working on an idea to use Bacterial Cellulose to make filters for masks and other PPE. This would offer a more sustainable path, because the material is biodegradable, whilst also having minimal land impact (vs. say cotton).
When it came to improving antiviral/antimicrobial properties of the filters, they explored material functionalization using Henniker’s HPT-100 plasma system. Aided by our European technical sales manager Grace Law, they were able to optimise the process below.
Functionalization of BC-bM. The BC-bMs were functionalized with a low-pressure argon plasma (LPP-Ar) using the HPT-100 Benchtop Plasma Treater (Henniker Plasma, UK). The gas flow and power were held constant at 10 sccm (chamber pressure ~0.6 mbar) and 100% power (100 W). The treatment time was varied from 1 to 30 min. No solvents, no waste, great results.
You can read the pre-print article here https://t.co/VYcIdgkKkO.
