Soongsil University Develops World's First Mask Using Copper Special Composite Yarn

Antiviral Fabric and Mask Applied with Copper Special Composite Yarn (Provided by Soongsil University)

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Soongsil University announced on the 13th that Professor Juyong Kim of the Department of Organic New Material Fiber Engineering and Yongshik Son, CEO of K1Tex, jointly developed an antiviral mask applying copper special composite yarn, which was recognized for its antiviral performance targeting the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in the textile field for the first time by the Korea Chemical Convergence Testing Institute in July, and has been released.

Soongsil University and K1Tex have been steadily conducting joint research for over 10 years to develop various functional copper composite yarns. The newly released mask uses fabric woven by blending copper yarn with a diameter of 70㎛ (micrometers) with eco-friendly yarns. Depending on the optimal content and fabric design of the copper yarn, which has excellent antibacterial and antiviral properties, it can inactivate viruses.

Copper is an antibacterial material that kills 99.9% of harmful bacteria and was approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) in 2008. It also effectively suppresses odor generation, making it advantageous for long-term use.

The K29TEX mask contains more than 50% copper, and various official institution test results have confirmed its excellent antibacterial and deodorizing performance. It is evaluated to eliminate most virus pathogens, including COVID-19, within 30 minutes. This product has minimal deformation, providing excellent three-dimensional stability and maintaining a certain space from the skin, resulting in less skin irritation.

Professor Juyong Kim said, "I hope that systematic support measures and infrastructure will be promptly established so that excellent quarantine materials can be actively researched and commercialized in Korea in the future."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.