The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has had significant and ongoing impacts on all our aspects of our daily lives. The most visible has been the wearing of a mask which has quickly ubiquitous. The particular popularity of the disposable type has led to an increase in waste and a reversal of the trend for products to be created with reuse and recycling in mind. But now, among other solutions that have emerged, one of the most striking has come from Italian innovators Baruffi Composites who are looking to contribute and help the people fighting this pandemic on the frontlines and have created the prototype for a reusable medical mask.
The ergonomically shaped mask is reusable thanks to a set of exchangeable filters. Making use of their extensive know-how in the composites field, Baruffi have designed this mask to be comfortably worn over extended times thanks to its anatomical shape, a special gasket, and the very low weight which helps to avoid claustrophobia.
Baruffi Composites was founded in 2010 in the heart of the Italian Motor Valley, with the aim of designing, developing, and producing both aesthetic and structural products in advanced composite materials. Over a decade the company was able to gain experience and know-how in the automotive and motorcycle racing sector. This allowed Baruffi Composites to expand into new markets such as nautical, medical, sports, industrial, and furniture & design.
Following their goal to emphasize sustainability in all business aspects, it was a logical decision to produce the mask from natural fibres. The flax fibres for Bcomp’s ampliTex™ fabrics are grown on fields in France and Belgium leaving a minimal CO2 footprint during their production. At the end of their life the flax fibre composite parts can be ground down and used for thermal energy recovery within the standard waste management system.
Ongoing development of the Covid mask project from Baruffi Composites will see it evolve and get optimised. The Italian firm ultimately aims to market the masks towards medical staff, law enforcement, companies, and individuals.
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