Considering what is going on around the world, I though this was interesting.

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A new face mask with a graphene-based filtration system could be the bane of coronaviruses, bacteria, and other harmful organisms. 

LIGC Applications claim that their Guardian G-Volt is a “a leap forward in the fight against airborne viruses and bacteria,” in the way it leverages the anti-bacterial and conductive properties of graphene.

The idea is that the mask’s laser-induced graphene filter prevents any organisms trapped in the mask from accumulating, and then a low-level electrical charge, delivered when the mask is plugged into a portable battery via USB, repels any stuck particles.

The Guardian G-Volt is designed to be stored in a home dock, where heat from an electrical source and a separate sterilising solution provides a deep clean at the end of the day – although it’s unclear how many times you can sterilise a Guardian G-Volt and it still be effective. At £30 a pop, you would hope that one would be good for at least a few days’ wear.

At the time of writing, LIGC has taken to Indiegogo to raise funds for the first run of Guardian G-Volt masks, which are expected to ship this September. The graphene sheet is due to be made by an unspecified company in Europe, and production of the masks should start in April.

While the timing of this announcement does seem somewhat opportune, the LIGC Applications crowdfunding page states that the masks have been in development over the last five years, and have been tested at Rice University in the U.S. and Ben Gurion University in Israel.

In tests, LIGC says, the Guardian G-Volt has been demonstrated to stop 99% of particles 0.3 microns (aka micrometre, one millionth of a metre) long, as well as 80% of particles smaller than 0.3 microns. Seeing as most human coronaviruses are between 0.1 and 0.2 microns wide, the Guardian G-Volt might not give you complete protection against everything, but then again, no mask can.

LIGC isn’t the only company looking to make graphene masks – as The Register reported earlier this week, UK-based graphene manufacturing group Haydale announcedthat it’s supplying Korean company iCraft with graphene for a line of cosmetic face masks. Again, these masks will lean on the conductive and anti-bacterial nature of graphene to do their thing, in this case, apply skincare products to faces more hygienically.

Graphene – sometimes abbreviated as Gr – is something of a wonder-substance, and its various properties have been hyped since it was isolated in the University of Manchester in 2004.

Stronger than steel but less dense, nearly transparent, and an excellent conductor, by now, we were fully expecting to see massive graphene batteries keeping Samsung phones powered for days, and Ghost in the Shell-style camo suits on sale in Uniqlo, but in 2020, it looks as though we’ll have to make do for health and beauty products instead.

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The Guardian G-Volt is designed to be stored in a home dock, where heat from an electrical source and a separate sterilising solution provides a deep clean at the end of the day – although it’s unclear how many times you can sterilise a Guardian G-Volt and it still be effective. At £30 a pop, you would hope that one would be good for at least a few days’ wear.

At the time of writing, LIGC has taken to Indiegogo to raise funds for the first run of Guardian G-Volt masks, which are expected to ship this September. The graphene sheet is due to be made by an unspecified company in Europe, and production of the masks should start in April.

While the timing of this announcement does seem somewhat opportune, the LIGC Applications crowdfunding page states that the masks have been in development over the last five years, and have been tested at Rice University in the U.S. and Ben Gurion University in Israel.

In tests, LIGC says, the Guardian G-Volt has been demonstrated to stop 99% of particles 0.3 microns (aka micrometre, one millionth of a metre) long, as well as 80% of particles smaller than 0.3 microns. Seeing as most human coronaviruses are between 0.1 and 0.2 microns wide, the Guardian G-Volt might not give you complete protection against everything, but then again, no mask can.

Related: Best fitness tracker

 

LIGC isn’t the only company looking to make graphene masks – as The Register reported earlier this week, UK-based graphene manufacturing group Haydale announcedthat it’s supplying Korean company iCraft with graphene for a line of cosmetic face masks. Again, these masks will lean on the conductive and anti-bacterial nature of graphene to do their thing, in this case, apply skincare products to faces more hygienically.

Graphene – sometimes abbreviated as Gr – is something of a wonder-substance, and its various properties have been hyped since it was isolated in the University of Manchester in 2004.

Stronger than steel but less dense, nearly transparent, and an excellent conductor, by now, we were fully expecting to see massive graphene batteries keeping Samsung phones powered for days, and Ghost in the Shell-style camo suits on sale in Uniqlo, but in 2020, it looks as though we’ll have to make do for health and beauty products instead.

Thomas Newton

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Thomas Newton has reported on UK consumer technology and telecoms for over ten years, and is currently working for Trusted Reviews as a freelance writer, mainly contributing weekend news stories and f…

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