PlanarTECH (Holdings) Ltd said it has received or delivered orders for 150,000 graphene-enhanced facemasks since it started sales in April.
The graphene specialist said orders had come from and been delivered to UK and international universities alongside strong Middle East interest, online inquiries, and from B2B customers.
Large distribution deals are now being pursued, it added, while the washing capability of its masks has been upgraded by a factor of 50 times.
In tests carried out by the Thailand Textile Institute, washing the facemasks at least 10 times saw no deterioration in antibacterial performance, planarTECH said.
J Patrick Frantz, planarTECH’s founder and chief executive, added: “One of the things we’ve noticed during the COVID-19 pandemic is the tremendous waste and potential health hazards generated by disposable face masks, and we really strove to develop a novel product that offers the benefits of graphene but is also environmentally friendly with a health and safety aspect too.
“These new test results provide fantastic news, indicating that our graphene-enhanced face masks can be used for at least 4-5 months – assuming washing every 2-3 days – while still meeting the stated standards and without any reduction in performance.
“We don’t think any other graphene mask on the market can make this claim.”
Planertech added that a version of its facemask compliant with the ISO18184:2019 standard for Determination of Antiviral Activity of Textile Products is now available for B2B customers who want it.
The company added it was aware that a number of companies have released “Me-Too” products into the market that are very similar to planarTECH’s original offering, which is patent pending.
“We continue to strive for more sales features and benefits to stay ahead of the pack as we know that graphene gives a great anti-static coating and offers consumer protection,” said Ray Gibbs, chairman.