Coronavirus Technology Solutions
June 22, 2020
Should Valved Masks be Used
in the COVID Battle?
March 13, 2020 - Face Masks and Respirators World Market
March 13, 2020 Air Filtration and Purification World Markets with
Coronavirus Supplement
Disinfectant
Wipes Market Demand is
Unprecedented
Comparing eSpin, Hifyber, Big
Nano, and NXT Nano
_____________________________________________________________________________
Should Valved Masks be Used
in the COVID Battle?
The higher the efficiency
the greater the mask resistance.
Therefore N100 and many N95
masks have valves to provide
both comfort and retention of
oxygen levels in the blood. If
one agrees that some of the
COVID transmission occurs in
small aerosols which travel long
distances, then it follows that
the higher the mask efficiency
on small particles the more
protection is achieved.
There are edicts to require
non valved masks. In some cases
you can enter a store with a
bandana but not an efficient
valved mask. This makes no sense
unless you believe that the
virus is transmitted only by
very large cough droplets.
The new evidence is that
social distancing is of limited
effectiveness and that masks are
a proven protection safeguard.
Countries such as China and
Japan are fortunate because high
efficiency masks with valves
have been used for decades for
protection against airborne
contaminants. These studies are
statistical and do not take into
account mask efficiency. One
interpretation is that these
countries are using relatively
high efficiency masks and this
is the reason for the amazingly
low death rates (U.S. 130,000
compared to 6,000 in China). The
fact that many of these masks
have valves has not negatively
impacted the results.
It can therefore be argued
that the statisticians could
have concluded that the
difference is not just masks but
efficient masks with or without
valves. If everyone is protected
(or if it causes infection
incidence less than 1.0) then it
is wearer protection which is
most important.
McIlvaine will be
continuing to analyze the mask
options under the assumption
that there are a number of needs
and a number of specific designs
to fit those needs. It is likely
that an individual may want to
have a number of masks designs
to fit variations in the
environments which he enters.
There are several valved mask
options which will be explored
·
Surgical masks as an outer
layer over an N95 valved mask
when people are within 6 feet.
·
A lock on an N95 valved
mask to be used when people are
within 6 feet
·
New mask designs with lower
resistance and which would
provide comfort and
breathability without valves
·
The wearer carrys both an
N95 valved mask and a surgical
mask (or N95 non valved mask)
and wears whichever is
appropriate to the environment
he is entering.
Wendover Brown of Vogmask
was a presenter in our June 18
webinar.
Subsequently she asked us
to weigh in on the use of valved
masks as a COVID mitigation
tool.
There
are three relevant goals
which have to be considered to
answer the question properly
·
Protection from all air
contaminants including air
pollution
·
Protection for those with
respiratory problems
·
General protection
All air contaminants: A
high efficiency mask is needed
to protect wearers from air
pollutants most of which are
sub-micron. A large volume of
valved masks are being sold in
Asian countries and are a
primary
protection against PM
2.5. WHO data shows that 9 out
of 10 people breathe air
containing high levels
of pollutants.
From smog hanging over cities to
smoke inside the home, air
pollution poses a major threat
to health and climate. The
combined effects of ambient
(outdoor) and household air
pollution cause about seven
million premature deaths every
year, largely as a result of
increased mortality from stroke,
heart disease, chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease,
lung cancer and acute
respiratory infections.
More than 80% of people
living in urban areas that
monitor air pollution are
exposed to air quality levels
that exceed WHO guideline
limits, with low- and
middle-income countries
suffering from the highest
exposures, both indoors and
outdoors.
The levels vary greatly
from country to country and from
day to day. Some areas routinely
experience levels more than 100
times the WHO guidelines.
The seven million premature
deaths per year is a big number.
The fact that it is not listed
as a direct cause of death is
misleading. Also the science
keeps improving and chronicling
the deadly effect of fine
particles. In the 1980s Bob
McIlvaine testified before
Senate sub committees and cited
EPA studies which showed that
acid rain was the main reason
for reducing SO2. Later EPA
found that the reaction of SO2
with ammonia and other base
chemicals in the atmosphere
created the deadly fine
particles which are much more
harmful than acid rain.
So billions of dollars
were spent for SO2 control
before it was even realized that
the main justification was fine
particle reduction.
Researchers in the Lombardi
region of Italy have found
COVID-19 virus particles on air
pollutants in this industrial
region. It therefore stands to
reason that in areas where
particulate levels are much
higher there will be more virus
attached to particles.
New research shows that
airborne virus may not be
permanently inactivated but just
dormant. Because of its small
size it will penetrate the lungs
where the humid conditions allow
it to thrive. The result can be
a more serious illness than
virus deposited in the nasal
passages. All of these
incidental facts need to be
addressed and quantified. It may
be that the quantity of virus
reaching individuals by this
route is insignificant.
But the opposite could
also be found.
A
related question is what
percentage of the cases need to
be attributable to long distance
air borne transmission before it
dictates a special mask
strategy?
Many people who will not
enter the water until an hour
after a meal because of fear of
drowning will want to protect
against an event as equally
unlikely such as long distance
traveling virus.
There are also special air
pollution events which affect
the cleanest cities.
The wildfires in
Australia and California are two
examples. This week the
Caribbean and Florida are slated
to be victims of an African dust
storm.
Since air pollution
particles are mostly submicron a
surgical mask will prevent
inhalation of only a small
fraction. In a polluted city the
wearer may be inhaling millions
of small particles per minute.
So even eliminating 95% of them
still leaves an appreciable
number.
Protection of those with
respiratory problems: There are many high
quality valved masks being used
to protect against air
pollution. Since these need to
be worn at all times and not
just when in areas of high
population density the
comfort and respiratory
function
becomes a factor.
Wendover cites an
asthmatic individual in a
grocery store as an example. A
previous Alert included the case
of two Korean high school
runners who died during a 1000
meter trial because of wearing
N95 masks without valves.
If those with respiratory
problems are tested frequently,
they could wear valve masks and
face little risk. Alternatively
if they have valved masks with
locks they could lock the masks
for short periods.
General Protection: Social distancing is a crude defense and only good
for protection against large
droplets. High efficiency masks
protect against the range of
particle sizes. Social
distancing is within the power
of the individual to control.
Inhalation of airborne particles
can only be reduced with an
efficient mask. So when it comes
to the choice of one or the
other the choice should be the
masks.
Surgical masks may prevent
large droplets from landing on
surfaces which can also be a
source of transmission. But hand
washing and surface disinfection
can deal with this source. Large
quantities of small viruses can
accumulate on surfaces as a
result of air transmission.
Studies in a hospital in Wuhan
show deposits on surfaces caused
by air turbulence. So the
argument that surgical masks
eliminate the surface deposit
risk cannot be substantiated.
There is no one hundred
percent protection protocol.
There is a sequence
ranging from the easiest and
lowest cost initiatives to the
toughest and most expensive. Our
challenge will be to quantify
each of these in terms of return
on investment ( ROI).
ROI and a concept
originally developed for
Cardinal Health to create a
common metric around Quality
Enhanced Life Days are found in
two earlier McIlvaine
recordings.
March 13, 2020 - Face Masks and Respirators World Market
Presentation by McIlvaine analysts on the revenue increases caused
by the pandemic. To view this
YouTube recording click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz6Y3pJSmcI
March 13, 2020 Air Filtration and Purification World Markets with
Coronavirus Supplement
The coronavirus will radically change the short term air filter
market but will also have a
major long term effect. More
efficient filters will be
installed at existing facilities
and there will be many new
applications and technology. To
view this YouTube recording
click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b182d30y9SE&feature=youtu.be
Disinfectant
Wipes Market Demand is
Unprecedented
“This
is unprecedented demand in
modern times for products like
disinfecting wipes,” says Brian
Sansoni, senior vice president,
Communications, Outreach &
Membership for
The American Cleaning Institute (ACI), a U.S.-based
trade association for the
cleaning products industry.
“Manufacturers have been working
around the clock as they are
able to get as many workers in
there—working safely as well, as
the safety of the workforce is
paramount.”
Based on reports and analysis
from manufacturers, the ACI
estimates that consumers will
begin to see a more regular
supply of products like
disinfectant wipes in
mid-summer.
Major manufacturers of
disinfectants and disinfectant
wipes weren’t quite prepared for
such high demand this time of
year.
The
Clorox Company had all-time
record shipments of Clorox
disinfecting wipes, cleanup
disinfecting spray, disinfecting
bathroom cleaner and Scentiva
products in the most recent
quarter.. Demand for some
disinfectant products spiked
more than 500%. “the company has
been able to increase production
of disinfecting products by 40%.
The RB (Lysol) is also
reporting strong category growth
driven by conditions created by
Covid-19. In the first quarter
of 2020, North America Like-for
Like (LFL) revenue was up 20% in
the quarter, with Lysol
especially strong, up over 50%,
due to Covid-19 demand.
To alleviate shortages caused by
consumer stockpiling, wipes
manufacturers have been working
as quickly and safely as
possible to crank up capacity.
“Companies certainly ramped up
production to meet the demand,
while retailers have been
seeking to normalize the supply
situation by restricting
purchases per customer,” says
Svetlana Uduslivaia, head of
Home and Tech Americas at
Euromonitor International. “As
stay-at-home restrictions ease
and some of the at-home
consumption normalizes, coupled
with ramped up production, the
situation will likely normalize
in retail.”
The increased demand for
disinfectant wipes and hand
sanitizing products has required
California-based wipes
manufacturer Diamond Wipes
International to shift its
production efforts to these
products and launch new
disinfecting wipes products,
according to chief executive
officer Lance Leonard.
“Balancing this with ongoing
projects for our contract
packaging and retail partners
has become somewhat challenging
but not unmanageable,” he says.
Although more consumers today
see the value and convenience of
household wipes, the pricier
cleaning format is still
considered a luxury item to many
as compared to other cleaning
formats. But will the current
economic pain being felt by much
of the population impact the
household cleaning and wipes
markets like it did during
another recent economic
downturn, the Great Recession?
Market researcher Mintel has
identified a key difference
between the two.
“The Great Recession drove
economizing behavior in nearly
every CPG category,” explains
Jamie Rosenberg, senior global
analyst, Household & Personal
Care, Mintel. “Consumers viewed
cleaning products as a platform
to reduce overall household
expenditures and that was
evident in market performance.
The household cleaning category
declined during the recession
and did not post positive growth
until 2012.”
On the other hand, covid-19 is
having a unequivocally different
effect on different product
categories. “In particular, the
pandemic is elevating the status
of household cleaning products.
Cleanliness has always been
important, but cleaning products
are now part of consumers’
survival strategy because in the
era of the pandemic, lax germ
management can lead to negative
health consequences,” he adds.
According to Mintel, wipes are
already the fastest-growing
surface cleaning format. Due to
the pandemic, Mintel analysts
predict there will be an
additional wave of fast-tracking
because wipes represent the
quickest route to sanitizing a
surface after human contact.
The market researcher also found
that while wipes outgrew the
broader surface-cleaning
category last year, store brands
walked away with most of that
growth. “Greater affordability
along with the virus-driven need
for quick cleaning will grow
penetration of household wipes
during the pandemic and beyond,”
Rosenberg says.
Comparing eSpin, Hifyber,
Big Nano, and NXT Nano
Nanofibers are an important
component in the technology
solutions for COVID. The Mask
webinar on the 18th
listed a number of nanofiber
mask products and included a
presentation by
Jayesn Joshi of eSpin.
In the June Nonwovens
Industry magazine there is
an article by Tom Tao of Spintec
(a research group) evaluating
the nanofiber options including
eSpin.
We are excerpting from
that article and are asking
Joshi and others to comment on
it in future alerts.
Tao commented on four
companies
eSpin
“Also capable of very thin
fibers is the innovative
electro-spinning technology
(E-spin). It employs an
innovative concept that uses a
high-voltage electric field
through which tiny charged
droplets of polymer solution
accelerate toward a hard surface
that carries the opposite
charge. The droplets elongate
while the solvent evaporates
between the nozzle and the
charged surface, such that solid
fibers are formed when the
polymer droplets land on the
charged surface.
The method works, but E-spin’s
complete setup and operation
require high cost and more
specialized labor, due to its
many peripheral needs such as
nozzle prep, high-voltage (8-10
thousand volts) facility and
use, solution prep and clean-up,
the capture and recycling of
spent solvent vapor which is
more than 90% of the solutions
weight, expensive chemicals,
their handling and storage,
necessary intermittency and
interruptions, regulation and
ordinance compliance, and
training and safety provisions
for employees, etc.
This relatively young technology
is patented and expensive to
license and operate. The
production rate is still very
low. In a 2017 demonstration, a
60-centimeter wide pilot
apparatus was able to achieve
only 1.5 kg/hour of an
unspecified average fiber
diameter. In a separate test
this technology had demonstrated
fibers of 100 nm, but the rate
and cost are unknown.
An idea has been raised that let
the solvent/solution system be
replaced by the more productive
melt extrusion device since melt
can also be E-spun into fibers.
However, the trade-off in
equipment and labor is not that
simple. Other ideas tried
include using a device having a
ball-surface shape to generate
more jets, etc.
A takeaway from this overview is
that E-spin is not ready yet to
supply nanofibers in quantity.
But it certainly has helped
worldwide researchers in their
works on nanoscience and product
possibilities.
(We are asking Jayesh Joshi to
respond to these comments)
Hifyber
Hifyber is a group company of
Abalioglu Holding and
specialized in the manufacturing
of electrospun nanofiber
filtration materials. Although
its founders officially started
Hifyber six years ago, its
engineers have more than 15
years of experience and
technical training in producing
nanofibers for high efficiency
and durable filtration
applications. What distinguishes
Hifyber from other manufacturers
is that it produces what we know
to be “market leading durable
nanofibers” that extends the
lifetime of the filter
translating to media having
significantly lower pressure
drop which results in less
overall energy consumption.
“Hifyber has a unique
entrepreneurial approach to
in-house capabilities of
producing a wide range of
custom-made filtration media,”
says Frank Baker, North American
account manager.
At its manufacturing facility in
Denizli, Turkey, Hifyber can
slit master rolls, laminate to
produce multilayer materials,
corrugate to extend the surface
area of the material and coat
with nanofibers all with a
dedicated goal of delivering
consistency throughout a product
portfolio that is word class.
“We can also perform most of the
filtration tests requested and
required at our in-house
laboratory. We provide these
advantages with cost-effective
pricing and shorter lead times
creating a value proposition,”
Baker adds.
Hifyber’s primary nanofiber
filtration media is designed for
high efficiency air applications
(gas turbine, industrial dust
collection, HVAC, and HEPA).
Hifyber offers nanofiber media
in a wide range of grades: F7-F9
(MERV 13-16) / E10-H13 plus N95
facemask media and is currently
selling product to 30 countries
globally. Warehousing in South
Carolina allows Hifyber to
respond to U.S. companies with
short lead times. To meet
increased customer demands
Hifyber will be adding
investment that will double its
capacity this month.
Hifyber has a unique
entrepreneurial approach to
in-house capabilities of
producing and testing a wide
range of custom-made filtration
media. Since the Covid-19
outbreak began, the team has
focused on supporting the
healthcare industry and
developed the revolutionary
Hifyber facemask media,
HF-SPS50-FFP2 and HFSPS50-FFP3,
to respond to the
ever-increasing emergency.
Hifyber facemask media is simply
comprising of three layers which
has an ultra-fine nanofiber
filtration between two spunbond
layers. Due to submicron fiber
size of nanofiber layer, the
media is delivering much better
breathability and consistent
performance compared to
conventional solutions. As it’s
very well known, in conventional
electrostatic filter masks’
filtration efficiencies
dissipates quickly after it
becomes discharged, whereas
nanofibers rely only on
mechanical filtration created
with extremely wide surface
area.
Big Nano Corp.
A proprietary meltblowing
process allows industry newcomer
Big Nano Corp. to operate at
higher production speeds using
large nozzles. This allows the
company to make fabrics at
competitive prices. The process
was developed by researchers at
the University of Waterloo in
Canada and began production on a
pilot scale in March.
“The key different is that in
conventional meltblown the work
is extracted after the nozzle
exit where with our process, it
is extracted before so it offer
higher energy and finer
throughput,” says spokesman
Yoonjun Park. “We also use
larger nozzles than conventional
meltblown to exert more energy,
achieve a higher output and use
finer fibers.
Big Nano Corp. just opened its
pilot plant in March and is in
the process of getting equipment
in house. Right now, the key
application area is on facial
masks which are in high demand
due to the Coronavirus pandemic
but filtration media was the
initial focus. “Right now all
meltblown demand is going toward
face masks,” Park says.
“But, conventional markets that
could benefit include industrial
filtration where it would target
commercial and industrial
filters or electrostatically
charged media for HVACs and gas
filters.”
While the meltblown fibers used
in the Big Nano process are a
little bigger than those used in
electrospinning at about
400-600, they still exist in the
nano scale. “The definition of
nano has changed a bit compared
to conventional meltblown
technology and we offer a higher
throughput and a simpler
operation that costs less,” Park
explains.
NXT Nano
Five-year-old NXT Nano makes air
filtration media for dust
collection, power generation,
automotives, microfiltration
using microporous membranes
based on breathable nanofiber
technology. The manufacturing
process includes the development
of a two-meter membrane that is
then enhanced with a nanofiber
for filtration efficacy.
Currently the only company in
North America using nanofiber
technology in a membrane
technology that is commercially
viable for filtration
applications, NXT Nano is also
targeting outdoor apparel like
Gore-Tex jackets and military
clothing with the technology.
“Our biggest challenge has been
to get the technology adopted
into markets that can benefit
from it,” says executive vice
president Alan Smithies, adding
that other key markets include
cabin air filter systems in
automotives, engine intake
filters and HVAC systems.
NXT Nano’s current capacity
based on a MERV 15 basis is
about 60 billion square meters
per year. The line was started
to make heavy membranes but the
company started breaking them
apart to increase flexibility.
https://www.nonwovens-industry.com/issues/2020-06/view_features/production-of-nanofibers/
