A study tells us what is the best material for making fabric masks (and it's not what you expect)

    According to a study conducted in California, silk, water repellent and antimicrobial, is among the best materials for making masks.

    What is the best material for making masks? A study conducted by a team of researchers from the University of California compared different fabrics and fibers to evaluate their protection effectiveness, finding a particularly suitable material in silk.





    At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the wife of Patrick Guerra, a radiology specialist, used an N95 respiratory mask which she then covered with a disposable surgical mask to prolong its use. In theory, these had to be changed after each patient, given the risk, but resources were scarce.

    Professor Guerra, professor of biology at the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Calfornia, then decided to investigate the possibility of using silk as an alterative material for masks which, thus composed, could be washed, sterilized and reused.

    Guerra, who studies the complex architecture of the silkworm cocoons, wondered if a mask made with this precious fabric could act as a protective barrier like, or even better, an N95 (which filters at least 95% of the suspended particles in the air, including the possible presence of the coronavirus). This intuition was born from the observation of cocoons which are naturally water repellent.

    He and his team then tested different types of fabrics such as cotton, polypropylene (the material used in many disposable surgical masks) and silk to see which was most likely to repel moisture and in particular emitted aerosol droplets. by those who cough or sneeze and who, as is now known, are a dangerous transmission vehicle for SARS-CoV-2.

    A study tells us what is the best material for making fabric masks (and it's not what you expect)

    © Plos one

    Their research, published in Plos One, showed that silk was by far the best material, not just because it is extremely water-repellent, but also due to the fact that it is highly breathable. Furthermore, both properties are maintained even after repeated washing.

    “The current hypothesis is that the coronavirus is transmitted through respiratory droplets. If you were wearing layers of silk, this would prevent the droplets from penetrating and being absorbed. Recent work by other researchers has also found that increasing silk layers improves filtration efficiency. This means that the silk material can repel and filter droplets. And this function improves with the number of layers, ”said Guerra.



    Another advantage, explains the professor, is that thea silk has natural antimicrobial, antibacterial and antiviral properties which could help ward off the virus.

    Studies have shown that copper, in particular, can kill bacteria and viruses on contact. And this is where the little caterpillars have their "superpower" as Guerra defined it:

    “Copper is the big craze now. Silk contains copper. Domesticated silk moths eat mulberry leaves. They incorporate copper from their diet into silk " 

    Now the same research team wants to understand how long the virus survives on silk and other materials.

    It is probably useful in countering the coronavirus, but perhaps it would be better to focus on other materials given that silk production is certainly not cruelty-free. The silkworms, in fact, to produce this precious and expensive material, are exploited and once they have done their job (that is, they have produced the silk) they are killed, before having the opportunity to become butterflies.


    Fonti: Science Daily / Plos One

    Read also:

    • Hemp masks arrive: reusable, washable and without the use of chemicals
    • Cloth masks should be washed every day (otherwise they won't work). I study
    • Washable masks work, promoted by Altroconsumo. Decathlon and Pompea best of the test
    add a comment of A study tells us what is the best material for making fabric masks (and it's not what you expect)
    Comment sent successfully! We will review it in the next few hours.