A battery-powered, self-sterilising smart fabric that inactivates 99.99% of bacteria and viruses within minutes of them coming into contact with it has been unveiled by Osmotex AG of Thalwil, Switzerland. Initially, the company is using the fabric -a variant of its existing active-membrane technology(1) and called Osmotex Steriliser - to manufacture re-usable face masks. An electric current is supplied to the textile surfaces of the mask by the battery, where it interacts with moisture present there to create the sterilising agents ozone (O_3) and hydrogen peroxide (H_2O_2) in quantities that are harmless to humans, but deadly to all viruses and bacteria-generating an antiviral and antibacterial effect inside and on the surfaces of the mask. The antiviral performance of the mask has been verified through testing at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland.
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