The Science Behind Biamo

Droplets can linger

Respiratory droplets and pollutants can be of various sizes, can linger in the air and are a key factor in spreading infections and irritants. Larger particles are typically filtered mechanically (like a sieve), but smaller particles (Covid and other viruses), are additionally repelled by electrostatic charge. This electrostatic charge effect is a characteristic of silk making it superior to cotton for small particle filtration. This unique silk charge also helps keep water droplets away preventing absorption into the face covering.  If you double or triple the layers of silk, as we have done for our Biamo wear, that protective effect is magnified.

 

Silk is Safer

The majority of masks on the market today are cotton. This material offers mechanical filtration only. Natural silk, on the other hand, offers mechanical and electrostatic filtration. This is because silk has a charge that repels small particles.

Multiple studies confirm that multilayered silk masks mechanically filter and electrostatically repel small particles such as bacteria, viruses and pollutants. These silk layers alone can offer up to 90% protection from these particles. 

Charged electrostatic silk shield has been shown to be more effective than N95 masks with smaller particles (<300nm) which is the size associated with virus transmission.

Our physicians and designers have optimized your protection by maximizing silk thread count to increase mechanical filtration as well as layering the silk barriers in order to maximizing electrostatic shielding keeping those small viral particles away.

If you were to insert our filter pads to this already efficient filtration system, multilayered silk masks exceed 90% protection.

At Biamo, we have you covered.

*Referenced article: Konda at al, ‘Aerosol Filtration Efficiency of Common Fabrics Used in Respiratory Cloth Masks’, ACS Nano 2020, 14, 6339-6347.