NMU scientists step in to help alleviate hand sanitiser shortage

With the current scarcity of large amounts of hand sanitiser, Nelson Mandela University scientists are urgently producing it as part of its efforts in preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

InnoVenton, the university’s Institute for Chemical Technology, produced its first batch of 200 litres of sanitiser within two working days.

“We had to make do with what we have, taking into account the urgency,”  InnoVenton’s Dr Nicole Vorster said.

“First, we had to develop a recipe at laboratory scale and then source the ingredients.

“As there is a shortage of alcohol in the country, we could only source the last two 250-litre drums of ethanol internally. We are now searching countrywide for more.”

Fortunately, the other ingredients – glycerol, to soften the liquid’s effect on hands, water, colourant and perfume — are all still available at the university.

The sanitiser is being produced in InnoVenton’s pilot plant, which is already set up for the synthesis of chemicals as well as distillation of flammable solvents, such as alcohols.

The first batches of the sanitiser are being decanted so that staff who man key entrances can spray the hands of staff, students and visitors using the university.

The team jumped to action when it was learnt that sanitiser supplies were out of stock and the earliest they might reach the university was on Friday.

“We recognised the urgency and immediately got to work.”

Vorster said alcohol was produced from fermentation of grains and fruit and broke down the cell walls of viruses, causing them to dehydrate and die.

InnoVenton does applied research mainly into algae cultivation and chemical product and process development.

It is also a technology station supporting local industries and SMMEs with chemical product formulation and technical support.