By Andrea Hargraves 
a GPS leather This week he introduced a product with V-Block, which works to inactivate the new coronavirus that causes Covid-19. According to the company, the skin receives an additive from fine silver particles in its shell, which has an antiviral effect.
The material is suitable for surfaces that may be constantly exposed to the virus, such as furniture, seats and steering wheels. Clothes, bags and wallets, which are frequently handled items, can also be made of leather using nanotechnology.
“Our skin has undergone scientific tests that prove the inactivation of the SARS-Cov-2 virus. Applying technology adds more value to our product, by helping to preserve and resist the materials,” says Guilherme Motta, president of JBS Couros.
In tests conducted in the Laboratory of Biosafety Level 3 (NB3) of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo (ICB-USP), the material showed 99% inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 within 30 minutes of coming into contact with viral particles.
“The use of nanotechnology increases the contact surface of silver and its stability in the skin, which enhances the anti-viral effect,” says researcher Lucio Freitas, who was involved in testing the new substance. The tests were conducted in accordance with the international standard ISO 21702, which specifies the most appropriate methods for detecting antiviral activity in plastics and non-porous surfaces.
The fine particles are constructed from the synthesis of silver salts – an ingredient chosen for its famous anti-viral work – and stabilized by nanotechnology. “Fine silver particles are able to inactivate the virus through two mechanisms: in the membrane – where this breaks the outer layer of the virus and disrupts its entry into the host cells, and RNA (or DNA), where they oxidize the genetic material of the exposed virus.” Says materials scientist Daniel Minuzzi, founder and director Nanox, a company specializing in nanotechnology and antimicrobials that developed the additive used by JBS Couros.
“We seek to obtain the best conditions for the application of the additive, taking into account the appropriate equipment and regulations, as well as the concentrations and application points of V-Block technology that have led to the success of this project,” says Motta.