Xylinum Mask, The Home-grown Biodegradable Face Mask

During the middle of the Corona pandemic situation, face mask masks are one of the important and valuable items. The government itself has mandated the use of masks for everyone, especially if you want to go outside the home. That is why N95 masks and surgical masks are becoming rare in the market, so we must prioritize these masks for medical personnel and vanguard who are more in need. Instead, we can use a cloth mask or a unique transparent mask made from cellulose on this one.

Garret Benisch and Elizabeth Bridges have succeeded in creating a face mask covering from microbial cellulose material. According to both, most masks involve plastic in their manufacture and Garret and Elizabeth want to change that.

Biodegradable Mask From Bacteria

Garret and Elizabeth from Sum Studio had previously designed a prototype for an alternative N95 mask, which has a polymer-based filter made from nonwoven plastic fibers. This time, they want to introduce personal protection equipment that is environmentally friendly.

This unique transparent mask is named 'xylinum mask'. Xylinum masks are made from cellulose bacteria called xylinum acetobacter. As they multiply, the bacteria knit cellulose fibers into a single membrane that can be harvested and dried for use as a mask. Meanwhile cellulose is transparent, so that other people can still recognize your face better.

The Xylinum Biodegradable mask

Uniquely, Garret and Elizabeth also said that some of these bacteria can also be grown in your own home. All that is needed is water, tea, sugar, and a small sample of xylinum acetobacter bacteria, which can be found in kombucha without taste.

Unfortunately, face masks made of bio-materials have not been tested. Although the mask sheet looks flexible and strong, it is still easy to deteriorate if worn. This Eco-friendly face mask will also decompose as easily as vegetables or fruit when it is no longer in use.