Walki has developed a high-performance protective material for single use hospital aprons amid the Covid-19 crisis

The demand for protective clothing has significantly increased in the last weeks in hospitals and other health care facilities due to the Covid-19 crisis. To fulfill this need, Walki has decided to act fast and develop a new material that meets the stringent quality demands.

“Walki is known for producing sustainable laminates for a broad range of applications from construction to packaging and thus possesses extensive material knowledge. Doctors, hospitals and other medical specialists have reached out to us, asking us to supply them with a protective apparel”, explains Bart Vansteenkiste, Business Development Manager Engineered materials at Walki.

The material for protective clothes in hospitals need to fulfill a broad range of requirements. It should be highly tear resistant to make sure the material is not torn apart in the manufacturing process. It also needs to be resistant to water and splash to protect the person who is wearing it. Another important feature is that it’s comfortable to wear. The material Walki has developed, called Walki®Apron 45, is a high-performance extrusion coated polypropylene non-woven suitable for medical applications.
“It meets all the requirements: it’s flexible and highly tear-resistant with good barrier properties against water”, explains Vansteenkiste.

Walki®Apron 45 has been produced on an industrial scale and has been tested at Walki premises with very positive results. As hospitals all over the world are grappling with supply shortage, it’s of utmost importance that the materials needed can be supplied promptly.
“Currently the Walki®Apron 45 is in the process of being certified and we expect to have the feedback within a week”, says Vansteenkiste.