Anti-Viral Textile Tech Developments Spread Globally
Anti-Viral Textile Tech Developments Spread Globally
Innovation in anti-viral textiles in response to the COVID-19 crisis is taking off with ingredient suppliers around the world contributing new treatments to help protect from coronavirus. Swiss textile company HeiQ has been leading the charge and recently announced a new partnership with Arvind Limited, India’s leading textile-to-retail conglomerate. Arvind will offer shirting and suiting fabrics, readymade garments and face masks using HeiQ Viroblock technology in India under the company brand Intellifabrix.
“We are excited with this partnership and in a very short period of time we will introduce into the Indian market fabrics that will provide best-in-class viral protection and are fashionable at the same time,” stated Kulin Lalbhai, executive director, Arvind Ltd.
HeiQ Viroblock significantly enhances the antiviral log reduction and reduces viral infectivity by 99.99 percent and is one of the first textile technologies in the world to claim such efficacy on SARS-COV-2. HeiQ Viroblock has been designed to stay active on treated garments for 30 gentle domestic washes, ensuring safety for the consumer that lasts for a good part of the garment’s life.
For more about HeiQ Viroblock, and our interview with HeiQ CEO Carlo Centzone, check out the Performance Pivot story in the latest issue of Textile Insight here: https://bit.ly/3froqh1
PRONEEM, a Marseilles-based biotechnology company founded in 2003, specializing in micro-encapsulation of natural active ingredients to functionalize textiles, has developed a textile treatment with high antiviral activity called VIRALSTOP.
Tested by an independent French laboratory*, the technology forms a lasting and permanent barrier that neutralizes the infectivity of SARS-COV-2 on textile surfaces, according to the company. The treatment combines the antiviral properties of zinc pyrithione and zinc oxide (ZnO) with other active ingredients, by preventing many viruses such as coronaviruses replicating and by damaging the viral envelope. Tested on samples of different types of textiles, it is currently the only French treatment tested on the SARS-COV-2 strain shown to be effective in neutralizing the virus. Its virucidal action reduces the viral population by more than 99.99%**, increases the textile’s protection level and limits transmission of the virus.
"Proneem’s collaboration with Chimie France and Novachim is enabling innovation to progress faster and puts French R&D at the forefront. Indeed, for the first time in France, it has been possible to conduct tests on the SARS-COV-2 strain, proving the performance of a treated textile. With an effective active ingredient and documented textile impregnation systems, we have proved that it is possible to create textiles able to destroy the virus" explained Nathalie Hagege, founder and president of Proneem.
The new treatment will be used to make gloves, masks and clothing. Proneem also looks to use Viralstop technology in textile sprays with antiviral properties for the general public and hotel sector, in addition to antiviral cleaners for industrial laundries, hospital laundries, and dry cleaners.
* VIBIOSPHEN, French medical biotechnology laboratory specialized in infectious diseases.
** Results of tests carried out on different synthetic and natural textile samples.
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