COVID-19: Innofibre is at work to develop medical equipment manufactured by paper mills

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Right from the first lockdown announcements in mid-March and in response to calls for proposal from the governments of Quebec and Canada, the Innofibre team brainstormed to propose quick solutions allowing the industry to solve problems of production to deal with COVID-19.

Thanks to the expertise built up over many years with its partners, Innofibre can rapidly develop new products that meet the needs generated by the pandemic.

A total of 7 applied research proposals were presented: 5 proposals to the Quebec Ministry of Economy and Innovation (MEI) and 2 proposals to NSERC, as part of the special grant program: Applied Research Rapid Response to COVID-19.

The work includes prototyping, improvements to production processes and adaptations of manufacturing infrastructure in place with partners. Also, laboratory analyzes to generate the data necessary to validate the performance of these new products are covered.

These projects are carried out with the cooperation of industrial partners for whom technology transfer is ensured throughout the implementation. In several cases, university collaborators are also involved, particularly in analyzing the virucidal properties of new products.

The proposed solutions deal with antiviral cellulosic surfaces, filter membranes for masks, disinfectants of natural origins, antiviral ingredients based on extracts from forest products, masks in thermomoulded pulps and cellulosic filters capable of neutralizing viruses and microbes in ventilation systems.

Several of these proposals have already been accepted and have received funding. The team is hard at work for solutions that are as fast as effective. Innofibre once again demonstrates its ability to adapt quickly to the needs of the community while remaining faithful to its mission which is to support innovation and diversification of biomass products by adapting paper technologies.


For more information :
Jean-Philippe Jacques, General manager
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


Source: Innofibre