In the recent COVID-19
pandemic situation, personnel protective equipment like surgical gowns, face
masks, and hospital drapes played important roles in offering necessary and added
protection to save lives.
Nonwovens and Advanced
Materials Laboratory at Lubbock-based Texas Tech University (TTU) has stepped
in during the need of the hour and has undertaken projects to highlight the
usefulness of face masks in controlling the pandemic. A new concept, ”FISOR,” evolved
out of the latest research.
Chennai, India-based
Asthagiri Herbal Research Foundation collaborated with the Nonwovens Laboratory
at TTU to highlight the accumulation of microbes on face masks and the need to
focus more on hygiene. This collaborative paper was published in the flagship
peer-reviewed journal, “TAPPI Journal,” published by the Technical Association
of Pulp and Paper Industry in January 2022.
On February 10, 2023, the
paper “Microbial load and proliferation associated with various face mask types
and sources during the COVID-19 pandemic," was recognized as the
co-recipient of the Best Paper Award for 2022 published in TAPPI Journal. In
addition, this work is also recognized as the recipient of half of the Honghi Tran
prize.
The paper that appeared as a Cover Page article in TAPPI Journal can be accessed at:
https://imisrise.tappi.org/TAPPI/Products/22/JAN/22JAN23.aspx
While the work focuses on
the importance of face masks, the journal notifies that this is the first-ever
paper in the nonwovens/textiles field to receive the best paper
recognition—credible recognition for the growing area of nonwovens.
The authors of this paper
are Narasimhan Srinivasan, Meenakshi Balakrishnan, James Ayodeji, and Seshadri
Ramkumar.
Dr. Narasimhan Srinivasan,
Chairman of the Asthagiri Herbal Research Foundation has been a colleague of
Nobel laureate Herbert Brown and has undertaken research at Purdue University
on hydroboration developing chemical reagents.
According to Dr. Narasimhan,
“international collaboration provides resources that are complimentary
including research expertise to solve common and global problems.”
New areas such as biobased
processes and products should provide new avenues for research in textiles and
materials science stated Dr. Narasimhan. His research organization is now
working on herbal blends that promote immunity, antimicrobial filters, and drugs
for novel anticancer leads.
The Nonwoven and advanced
textiles sector can gain much by multidisciplinary approaches involving organic
chemistry, and natural products chemistry leading to translational research.
Such collaborations are
needed as the industry is focusing its attention on sustainability, climate
change, etc.
Dr. Seshadri Ramkumar, PhD, CText, FTI (UK), FTA [Honorary] (India), TAPPI Fellow (USA)
Professor, Nonwovens & Advanced Materials Laboratory
Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
E-mail: s.ramkumar@ttu.edu
Website: https://www.entx.ttu.edu/dr.-s.s.-ramkumar.html
Also Read:
Sustainability and Innovations to Shine in the World Textile Conference
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