competition concept // 3m inspire challenge 2021
3m nexcare bio daily mask: competition concept
context
competition: 3m inspire challenge 2021. team: team kancil, a student team from institut teknologi bandung (itb). result: 1st place national champion for indonesia, then 2nd runner-up across asean at the southeast asia regional finals. the submission was an academic competition proposal developed during industrial engineering studies.
single-use ppe
the competition problem was the environmental surge of single-use personal protective equipment (ppe).
polypropylene that outlives us
standard surgical masks rely on petroleum-derived polypropylene plastic, a material that persists for centuries in landfills and waterways, from a petroleum supply chain.
phb, a grown biopolymer
the proposal explored polyhydroxybutyrate (phb), a biopolymer synthesized from cyanobacteria, grown on sugarcane waste and reinforced with kenaf, as a biodegradable non-woven alternative to fossil-based surgical mask fibers.
3-ply non-woven structure
the sheet was modelled as 3 plies: spunbond outer and inner plies around a meltblown filter.
fit that seals
3d facial contours were proposed to stop air leaks, with phb's memory shape as a roadmap feature for improved ergonomic fit without conventional plastic waste.
end of life
the material degrades safely in soil within 6 to 12 months, instead of persisting for centuries.
the proposal
a material concept, a 3-ply structure model, and the techno-commercial structuring around them, developed as a student competition submission.
academic concept note
this project was an academic competition proposal developed during industrial engineering studies at institut teknologi bandung (itb). it represents early conceptual exploration and techno-commercial structuring, not a tested clinical medical device or commercially manufactured product.
national champion
1st place national champion (indonesia) at the 3m inspire challenge 2021.
regional finals
advanced to the southeast asia regional finals, securing 2nd runner-up across asean participants.