GRAPH-EU: GRAPHene-Enhanced face mask for safety, comfort and sUstainability

Directa Plus

Presentation video: GRAPH-EU

The GRAPH-EU project aims to bring on the European market a safe, reusable and comfortable face mask made with graphene nanoplatelets-enhanced fabrics through a sustainable, non-polluting process. During the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Directa Plus has begun to deploy its graphene-related technologies to produce a face mask that could prove to be safe, comfortable, reusable, and therefore sustainable economically and environmentally. The company has reached the market with its Graphene Plus Co-mask, that has proven to respond to some of these challenges and is sold as community mask.

Now, Directa Plus seeks to perfect its product by developing a sanitization method of the filter by simple heating method (with iron, hairdryer), easy to implement by the end user, and by creating mask filters that are biodegradable. Through the GRAPH-EU project, the company will also be able to improve the performance of Co-mask to reach the standards to qualify as surgical mask (compliant to EN 14683). Indeed, currently the market demands a reusable surgical mask. 

Co-mask is made with G+ enhanced fabric, which is naturally bacteriostatic: it stops bacteria reproducing on the mask and the fabric itself is dermatologically tested and hypoallergenic. Also, the Planar Thermal Circuit built into the highly breathable fabric spreads heat from directly in front of the wearers mouth for greater comfort. The mask is equipped with G+ enhanced filters, that are strongly antibacterial and have demonstrated to be able to inactivate SARS-CoV-2.

Co-mask is specifically developed to meet the needs of a post-Covid-19 world, where face masks are needed daily: the end user needs a protective, comfortable and possibly reusable solution. Through the GRAPH-EU project, the product will be improved by developing a new accessible sanitization method that will prolong the lifespan of the replaceable filter and by introducing new biodegradable filters that are more environment friendly.