Intelligent Fabric Technologies North America (IFTNA), a Canadian biotech firm, recently launched a new specialty coating — called PROTX2 AV — that's designed to protect the wearer's clothing from any viruses. Thus far, the coating has not been tested against COVID-19, but IFTNA plans to confirm the protection against the coronavirus soon and suspects the coating will destroy 99.9 per cent of COVID-19 in the span of 10 minutes and will continue to fight it off for 24 hours after application.
According to IFTNA, "the chemical penetrates the virus’s outer shell and destroys its replication process, and it can be applied during the textile finishing process without requiring additional machinery or steps."
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Why This Trend Is Growing
- Antiviral Textile Coatings
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop advanced antiviral textile coatings that have been tested and proven effective against COVID-19.
- Virus-resistant Apparel
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create virus-resistant clothing that incorporates antiviral textile coatings to protect wearers from contagious diseases.
- Textile Finishing Technology
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Innovate new textile finishing processes that can apply antiviral coatings without additional machinery or steps.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Fashion and Apparel
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrate antiviral textile coatings in fashion and apparel products to enhance personal safety and hygiene.
- Healthcare and Medical
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Incorporate antiviral textile coatings in medical garments and protective gears to reduce the transmission of infectious diseases in healthcare settings.
- Textile Manufacturing
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Introduce advanced textile finishing technologies for mass production of antiviral-coated fabrics.
