"During the state of emergency that prevailed in our country this year, the work of many teams at the faculty did not stop. The university announced an internal competition for subprojects related to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to the ProoFOND project, co-financed by the TA CR within the GAMA2 program. In record time, a functional electrically sterilizable filter and also a filter insert, designed not only for personal respiratory protection in the form of mask or half mask filters, could be created. The textile composite, which in the prototype is made of carbon textiles and polyamide nanotextiles, can also be used in air conditioning or ventilation systems of buildings or vehicles (including ships or aircraft).
"We expect a wide interest in this simple and effective solution, because the proposed construction allows to sterilize the filter even with a low and safe voltage of 12V, while the textile structure reaches temperatures of 100 ° C if needed. The latest findings published in the world about the COVID-19 virus show that heating its structures to a temperature of 92 ⁰C for 15 minutes is enough to eliminate it, ”says the researcher of the project, doc. Ing. Lukáš Vojtěch, Ph.D., from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering
The filter concept is based on the team's many years of experience in electrically conductive textile materials properties research. Other construction materials than the already mentioned carbon or polyamide are also designed for other applications. The university is patent-protected by the filter concept and is currently looking for partners to commercialize this innovative solution with the prospect of a global reach of applications.
A video informing about the filter material is available here.