Florence Bonavento
08/15/2020 - 13:08
- Clarín.com
- Zonal
"This is La Matanza nanotechnology for the world," says proud Alan Gontmaher, manager of the company and director of the project of what would be the only chinstraps in the world that disable the Coronavirus in five minutes thanks to the use of fabrics with active ingredients antiviral, bactericidal and fungicidal.
They began to market them 15 days ago and estimate that they will make around 6 million per month to supply national demand and orders that already arrive from other parts of the world.
Since 2019, the textile SME Kovi was working on the development of towels with technology to eliminate the musty smell that is generated by fungi and bacteria, but the arrival of the pandemic changed plans. "We thought about redirecting this idea and we contacted a scientific researcher from Conicet", says Gontmaher.
Thus it was that in April they began this development with the aim of manufacturing a fabric for chinstraps that had the ability to disable the Covid-19 virus and thus avoid contagion. The research team is integrated, in addition to Conicet, by the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) and the National University of San Martín (UNSAM) .
The fabrics have a treatment that consists of the incorporation of a polymer that contains active silver (bactericidal) and copper (antiviral) ions.
“In May we finished the development. It was done at the speed of light and with an inordinate investment . We did it with our own funds and months later we received the support of Banco Nación ”, says the manager of the Matanzas textile company.
According to the developers, these chinstraps are the only ones in the world that manage to eliminate the virus in five minutes. There are other similar ones in Israel and Portugal but they take an hour and, as it takes around 15 minutes in contact with the virus to contract it, they would not be as effective.
Another difference with respect to these options is the price, since foreigners cost 38 dollars and 20 euros , respectively, while the mask produced in La Matanza, marketed under the name Atom-Protect, is around $ 324 per unit if a pack of 10. In addition, the product has the property that it can be reused since it does not lose its effect until 15 washes. "We made nanotechnology for everyone", highlights the manager.
The antimicrobial properties of the fabric were verified by the National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI) and its antiviral action was checked by the Virology Institute of the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA). "The studies carried out showed that these fabrics have the ability to inhibit coronavirus similar to SARS-CoV-2 in less than five minutes," explained Ana María Llois, doctor in Physical Sciences, principal investigator at Conicet and director of the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology ; and one of the people who led the project.
After testing in laboratories, the CONICET, UBA and UNSAM team carried out large-scale tests at the Lomas del Mirador plant.
For reasons of ANMAT regulation, the super chin is only offered for social and non-medical use, because nanotechnology is not contemplated within the legislation. In order for it to be approved for this purpose in the coming days, Gontmaher explained that they will incorporate the filters and fabrics that would be legally required to be considered for medical use.
In order to supply the great demand that they are already having at the national and international level, the company had to hire more personnel for its plant in Lomas del Mirador. They estimate that they will manufacture 6 million units per month.
“The demand was huge because there is nothing like it. They are writing to us from Europe, from America, from everywhere. It's cheap and the real solution to the problem, ”says Gontmaher. And he says that the factory is already using them, along with all the established security measures, and that they have not had any case of Covid.
The company's future project is to continue working with nanotechnology and launch clothing fabrics with these properties, from antiviral joggins for boys, to sportswear that do not generate the smell of perspiration.