Student project

A wall panel and a face mask

Designer
Sara Lee Spanggaard Krog
Education
Master
Subject area
Textile Design
Focus area
Design for People
Year
2020
Collaboration partners
Professor Norman Ratcliffe fra fakultetet og Institut for sundhed og anvendt videnskab (HAS) ved University of the West of England (UWE)
Background
More than 800,000 people have died to date and the number continues to rise. In order to help society's most vulnerable in the fight against COVID-19, Sara Lee decided to transfer the principle from the wall panels to a mask that can neutralise dangerous viruses.

Et vægpanel og en maske

WHAT? A wall panel and a face mask that can deactivate viruses, kill bacteria and purify the air.

HOW? Sara Lee has worked across the disciplines of textile design, chemistry, virology and electrotechnics as well as with professors with relevant specialities. The interdisciplinary collaboration has resulted in a prototype of a face mask that can break down volatile organic compounds and NOx gases using photocatalytic oxidation embedded in composites and textiles. A virologist is currently testing the ability of the mask to reject SARS-CoV-2.

WHY? Sara Lee was in the middle of her graduate project aimed at creating air-purifying wall panels made of textiles, when the pandemic suddenly erupted with catastrophic consequences. More than 800,000 people have died to date and the number continues to rise. In order to help society's most vulnerable in the fight against COVID-19, Sara Lee decided to transfer the principle from the wall panels to a mask that can neutralise dangerous viruses.