Periods and menstruation has always been an open secret and something to be discussed in hushed voices even behind doors- it is still a taboo topic, even if women these days are bold and open-minded, but when it comes to periods, it is still considered taboo. A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, after a strenuous and a long research of 2-years, have successfully used nanotechnology to make us a better sanitary pad.
The team from the depart ment of Chemical Engineering, IIT, Hyderabad – led by Chandra Shekhar Sharma, have developed a sanitary pad made of a cellulose-based nano-fibre that has absorbency of more than 30% and 60%. As they are 200 times smaller in diameter than he regular microfibers that are generally used in making pads, resulting in a thinner and softer product that doesn’t need to be changed as often as regular pads.
Sharma and his team aim to change the basic mind-set of various women and young girls, who miss school especially in rural areas due to unavailability of pads as they are expensive- thereby having to use cloth pad which causes stinking and other infections, hence this project which aim to last longer and help these young girls in their day-day activities.
“We aim to produce these pads with more absorption capacity so even in high discharge conditions, only a single pad will be sufficient. So, overall, for a complete menstruation cycle which lasts for five to six days, this will be economical,” he said.
According to the research, pads made with nanofibers using fewer chemicals would reduce the risk of toxic shock syndrome and other health issues associated with using tampons and the skin allergies and rashes that are associated with pads.
They have also taken environmental issues into concern while designing these pads. According to Sharma, “We are completely eliminating the use super-absorbent polymers that are non-biodegradable.”
By: Archa Dave
