The N80 cometh
Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, INDA, The Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, was hard at work connecting nonwovens producers with medical facemask, surgical gown and wet wipe manufacturers. Electrostatically charged meltblown media was especially critical, as it is the workhorse of N95-rated facemasks here in the U.S., as well as other high-performance masks …
High-efficiency filtration goes mainstream
Air filters are rated for how effective they are at removing a range of particles – from very small particles to larger particles that are visible to the human eye. The MERV rating for HVAC filters is an acronym for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. This rating is determined by filter manufactures in accordance with ASHRAE …
Why is meltblown the material of choice for PPE and facemasks?
Meltblown has risen from a commodity nonwoven material for select applications to front-and-center in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Meltblown is created via an integrated extrusion process. It utilizes a stream of hot, high-velocity air to blow a molten thermoplastic resin from an extruder die tip onto a forming belt or rotary conveyor with …
When filtration gets heated – considering hot gas applications
Hot gas filtration is a process utilized to remove particulate in high temperature gas streams. Depending on the process, the temperature ranges can very between 250 C to 1,000 C. The lower range can be serviced by synthetic fabric filters in the form of a bag and cage or pleated elements, whereas higher temperatures require …
A civil approach to facemask filtration
Standardized facemasks typically fall into one of two categories — surgical or respirator. Both variants are designed to offer various levels of protection against the transmission of bacteria and other particulates. World facemask guidelines are about science, but go beyond that. The science is defined by test methods that each region/country espouses. As a rule …