À̹ÌÁö È®´ë Kosdaq-listed Toptec has launched a process to commercialize long-lasting face masks with a nano-fiber filter, a product that can aid dire shortage of face protection against virus.
According to industry sources on Wednesday, Toptec located in Asan Techno Valley in Chungnam recently started a pilot run of two mask producing equipment to test safety and defection.
The company has survived 11-percent crash in the Kosdaq, with its shares 4.33 percent higher at 10,850 won Thursday after rising almost by its daily limit to 13,350 won in the morning.
The company plans to invest 15 billion won ($11.6 million) to install 48 production equipment in a 13,500 square meter site in the industrial zone. The plant¡¯s daily capacity is up to 3 million masks. Chungnam Province expects the company¡¯s capex to create up to 750 new jobs.
The company¡¯s hygiene mask features a nanofiber filter which maintains initial filtration efficiency even when exposed to moisture. Unlike conventional non-woven masks which collect pollutants in an electrostatic way, the nano mask uses a method of filtering pollutants through gaps formed by densely arranged nanofibers, making it easier to breathe and durable, the company said.
Toptec¡¯s nano-fiber mask is similar to a nano-fiber membrane mask recently developed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), which maintains excellent filter efficiency even after being washed.
The new nano mask is subject to a regulatory review before commercial production and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is investigating the safety of nano fibers.
By Pulse
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