Australian native grass could be key to super-thin condoms, claims researchers

A native Australian grass could hold the key to creating next-generation condoms, according to a team of researchers.

Fibers from the Australian native spinifex grass are being used to improve latex that could be used to make condoms as thin as a human hair without any loss in strength. Working in partnership with Aboriginal traditional owners of the Camooweal region in north-west Queensland, the Indjalandji-Dhidhanu People, researchers from The University of Queensland have developed a method of extracting nanocellulose, which can be used as an additive in latex production, from the grass.

Darren Martin said that the great thing about nanocellulose is that it's a flexible nano-additive, so the scientists can make a stronger and thinner membrane that is supple and flexible, which is the Holy Grail for natural rubber. "We tested our latex formulation on a commercial dipping line in the United States and conducted a burst test that inflates condoms and measures the volume and pressure, and on average got a performance increase of 20% in pressure and 40% in volume compared to the commercial latex control sample," he said.

Martin noted that with a little more refinement, the researchers think they can engineer a latex condom that's about 30% thinner, and will still pass all standards, and with more process optimisation work we will be able to make devices even thinner than this.