In Connecticut, researchers have invented a reusable and biodegradable face mask made from polylactic acid. Thinh Le, mechanical engineering PhD student at University of Connecticut, tells Daily Campus the masks are made of poly-L lactic acid, “an FDA-approved material [used] in medical applications, which is completely safe and biodegradable.”
Most masks are made from polypropylene and are not biodegradable, he adds. Also unlike their conventional counterparts, the UConn masks can be disinfected with a steam sterilizer.
Further testing is needed, however, to see if the masks are effective at protecting against COVID-19 aerosols. “So right now, we haven’t publicly tested the mask yet, but at this moment, we have had some preliminary results so the filtering efficiency can be a valid 92%, which is higher than a surgical mask but slightly lower than a N95,” Le said. “In terms of working principle, the common masks utilize the inherent surface charge, electrostatic force, to attract the tiny particles,” Le said. “On the other hand, our [poly-L lactic acid] nanofibers mat possesses the piezoelectricity as well as the inherent surface charge, which [when combined] enhance the filtration efficiency of the material.”
The group has filed a patent for the innovation.