Coronavirus Technology Solutions

July 1, 2020

 

Camfil Expands Into Face Mask Production

Freudenberg Expanding Mask and Filter Activities Worldwide

Well Air Supplies Plasma Treatment and Monitors

Flexible Air Filtration Strategies to Battle COVID

Microglass or Membrane Media

Replacing Filters Safely with BIBO Units

Chinese Meltblown Prices Fall to $2800 Per Ton

What Would be Melt Blown Revenues with Widespread Efficient Mask Use?

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Camfil Expands Into Face Mask Production

Camfil offers a wide range of premium clean air solutions for commercial and industrial air filtration, air pollution control and turbomachinery applications.

Founded: 1963       Global headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden

Number of manufacturing sites: 30     Number of R&D centers: 6

Number of employees worldwide: 4800   Net sales:  $900 million

With regard to previous viruses such as SARS and Ebola Camfil provided top-level biosafety laboratories (BSL 4) with CamContain air filter systems and CamSafe filter housing.

The Camfil products met the most demanding needs and safety standards for the most hazardous biological agents and microorganisms according to statutory regulations such as TRBA, BGR 121, ISO 14644 and EN 1822.

The air filter systems guarantee protection against contamination because they prevent the release and spread of microorganisms that cause life-threatening diseases for which there is neither a vaccine nor a cure.

In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, Camfil is designing and developing respiratory protection masks at its laboratory located in Trosa Tech Center in Sweden along with other parts of Swedish operations. The initiative was raised to meet the urgent demand for respiratory protection masks and its testing.

Product: CamProtect, Camfil’s respiratory protection masks
Standards: FFP2 and FFP3, where FF stands for filtering facepiece (half-face mask), P stands for particles, and the digit indicates class. Class 3 has the highest protective effect.
Initial quantity/week: 100,000
Tested: By the independent testing institute RISE, based on the penetration requirements of EN149, and at Camfil’s Tech Center in Trosa.
Produced: In Sweden initially
Distributed: Sweden initially

 

Considering Camfil’s extensive knowledge of clean air filtration solutions in more than 30 countries across the globe, the idea of creating respiratory protection masks came up quite naturally at several Camfil Centers. The preliminary project gained momentum through Camfil’s Global Tech Center in Trosa. Together with the Swedish business, a prototype of a respiratory protection mask was developed, and testing began in the laboratory. Since such face masks are not part of regular manufacturing output, Camfil kicked off a large-scale internal initiative with R&D. Product development in the filter industry usually takes several months or even years but due to urgent demand and hard work, the strategic team redeployed production lines while finding partners and suppliers who could help make the idea a reality in a short time. Along the way, Camfil consulted with health care organizations and partners to produce the best possible product and plan.

Here are links to Camfil information appearing in our Alerts

1. McIlvaine Coronavirus Market Alert

... 2.2 million Mask Contract from DOD One Million Meat Processing Workers in EU Need PPE Camfil has New Room Air Purifier More Efficient Air Filtration Systems Needed for New York Malls ...

Terms matched: 1  -  Score: 26  -  1 Jul 2020  -  URL: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/coronavirus/subscriber/Alerts/2020-06-30/Alert_20200630.html

2. McIlvaine Coronavirus Market Alert

... of contaminant their product can actually address. Biosafe Air uses the 3M products. Camfil Camfil supplies air filters and systems for many applications including the most severe. " ...

Terms matched: 1  -  Score: 20  -  29 Apr 2020  -  URL: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/coronavirus/subscriber/Alerts/2020-03-31/20200331.html

3. McIlvaine Coronavirus Market Alert

... Defend 1050 (NV1050) uses patented ultra-low energy plasma technology combined with a triple-stage Camfil® filter system to provide a combined solution for air disinfection and particle removal. ...

Terms matched: 1  -  Score: 13  -  29 Apr 2020  -  URL: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/coronavirus/subscriber/Alerts/2020-04-28/Alert_20200428.html

4. McIlvaine Coronavirus Market Alert

... Need High Efficiency Filtration and Up to 24 Air Changes per Hour Studies cited by Camfil have found that even the most efficient air-conditioning system can spew out high amounts of ...

Terms matched: 1  -  Score: 11  -  29 Apr 2020  -  URL: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/coronavirus/subscriber/Alerts/2020-04-16/20200416.html

5. McIlvaine Coronavirus Market Alert

... the coronavirus the medium and high risk areas are greatly expanded. Here is the Camfil view on filter recommendations for each classification ...

Terms matched: 1  -  Score: 5  -  29 Apr 2020  -  URL: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/coronavirus/subscriber/Alerts/2020-04-29/Alert_20200429.htm

Freudenberg Expanding Mask and Filter Activities Worldwide

Freudenberg  is a global technology group with around 50,000 employees in some 60 countries and annual sales of more than 9.4 billion euros in 2019. The Group’s headquarters are in Weinheim, Germany.

Freudenberg Group

2019

Sales (€ million)

9,467.8

Operating profit (€ million)

820.0

Workforce (as at Dec. 31)

48,851

 

 

Business Areas - Sales (€ million)

 

Seals and Vibration Control Technology*

5,325.8

Technical Textiles and Filtration*

1,969.9

Cleaning Technologies and Products*

975.5

Specialties*

1,435.2

 

 

Workforce (as at Dec. 31)

 

Seals and Vibration Control Technology

30,569

Technical Textiles and Filtration

9,477

Cleaning Technologies and Products

3,218

Specialties

5,617

 

Three Freudenberg Business Groups – Freudenberg Filtration TechnologiesFreudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions and Freudenberg Performance Materials – have combined their expertise in technical nonwovens, filter media and distribution. Together, the Freudenberg specialists have set up inhouse mask production in a very short space of time, initially delivering the needed volumes to Freudenberg sites. 

Currently, efforts are also underway to produce masks in North America for the local market. Japan Vilene Company – a Freudenberg Business Group – has been producing masks for the Asian market, primarily Japan. However, these products are subject to individual countries' COVID-19 export restrictions.

Last year Freudenberg made  a well-timed purchase of a Chinese air purifier company “By purchasing the majority stake in Apollo, we are strengthening our position in China’s rapidly growing market for filtration solutions,” says Dr. Mohsen Sohi, Freudenberg Group CEO. 

Air and water filtration solutions are enjoying strong year-on-year growth rates, especially in China, thanks to legislation demanding stricter regulations and increased environmental awareness. Experts estimate that the global market for products of Apollo – filters for room air purifiers, decentralized ventilation systems and water treatment – will have a total value of some 5 billion USD by the year 2022.

“Apollo is a great fit for Freudenberg,” says Dr. Andreas Kreuter, CEO of Freudenberg Filtration Technologies. “It is an innovative technology company that complements our own portfolio of filtration solutions for indoor air and water purification. The company also has first class production expertise and excellent networks in the industry.”

The company provides filtration solutions for a variety of applications, for example for air-conditioners, refrigerators, room air purifiers, vacuum cleaners, automobiles, kitchen facilities, humidifiers, HVAC equipment, medical purifiers, water purifiers, printers and copy machines. The company was founded in July 2000. In 2017, it reached sales of 750 million RMB (approximately 96 million EUR) and employed some 1,000 people.

Among the products is a washable PTFE filter with  high efficiency on 0.3 micron particles. Anti-bacterial filters are also supplied.

Freudenberg is well positioned to pursue the COVID opportunity with HEPA filters and with masks. They recently finalized purchase of a mask media company which we covered in a previous Alert.

McIlvaine Coronavirus Market Alert

... Ventilation Products Don & Low will Add New Meltblown Line for Face Masks in UK Freudenberg Face Masks Made Available This Week Drylock will Make 100,000 Masks per day ...

Terms matched: 1  -  Score: 91  -  14 May 2020  -  URL: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/coronavirus/subscriber/Alerts/2020-05-13/Alert_202005013.html

Well Air Supplies Plasma Treatment and Monitors

WellAir and its brands, Novaerus and Plasma Air, can be found installed in hundreds of hospitals, senior living facilities, schools, casinos, railway stations, residences, and industrial facilities in more than 30 countries around the world.  Plasma Air is located in the U.S. and Noverus in Europe.  Our previous article covers the effectiveness of plasma air treatment to mitigate COVID

1. McIlvaine Coronavirus Market Alert

... is Booming More Evidence of Air Borne Virus Transmission in a University of Nebraska Study Noverus Blog Confirms the Dangers of Air Borne Virus Transmission Novaerus Air Disinfection Unit Recognized by ...

Terms matched: 1  -  Score: 32  -  29 Apr 2020  -  URL: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/coronavirus/subscriber/Alerts/2020-04-28/Alert_20200428.html


Flexible Air Filtration Strategies to Battle COVID

International Filtration News conducted an exclusive panel discussion on the air filtration industry in a post-COVID-19 world.  Panel members included academic researchers and colleagues from air filtration manufacturers.

In particular, these air filtration experts weighed in on topics such as the ongoing threat posed by global pandemics in the future, the challenges associated with delivering quality air to indoor spaces, the role of air filtration in mitigating the threat posed by airborne viruses and our modern lifestyle, and what types of collaboration can help safeguard air quality while ensuring that frontline healthcare workers have the personal protective equipment (PPE) that they need to perform their jobs.

AAF Flanders Vice President of Global Research and Development – HVAC Nathaniel Nance shared his vision of a future that includes a mix of passive and on-demand air filtration. As conditions change and spaces go from empty to occupied, people would be able to select varying levels of required filtration. Using sensor technology and the ability to adjust variables such as fan speed and percentages of recirculated vs. fresh intake air, these innovative air filtration systems could become adaptive as well, ensuring comfortable, clean air according to desired temperature ranges, humidity levels, particulate counts, and even the capture and removal of targeted pathogens.

Scott Tennison, Director of Filtration at Kimberly Clark believes that the overall health risk due to poor air quality is more than just the spread of these viruses during global pandemics. Everything from heart issues and birth defects to a full range of respiratory illnesses have been directly linked to the quality – poor quality to be exact – of air that people are breathing day in and day out. We need to continue to tell the story and push the importance of healthy indoor air daily, not only during  times of global pandemics. 

Scott continues “ I do believe that the COVID-19 situation has put a very public lens on how microscopic particles in the air can affect our health, and this will impact the future of filtration in this post COVID-19 new normal. There is a growing awareness of IAQ and critical filtration in both commercial buildings and residential homes.” 

Higher MERV-rated products that can filter out the very smallest particles I believe will be the largest growth segments along with HEPA filtration. Personally, I believe that MERV 13 and above will be the new demand growth for both residential and commercial filtration in pleated media. Bag media and mini pleats will also look to MERV 13 and up to MERV 16 to deliver the best air quality in locations that use these types of filtration devices.

I know my comments might drive some concerns with our HVAC equipment manufacturing friends, but we must find the solution and create the balance between high efficiency performance and pressure drop. Kimberly-Clark, which has been a long-time leader in the science and technology of filtration media, as well as other media producers, needs to match not only the new demand for healthy air quality but also deliver the lowest possible pressure drops to ensure the least amount of additional strain on the HVAC equipment as possible. Additionally, converters will need to partner with media manufactures that have the ability to service their needs, as well as the industry demands, during these times of global pandemics.”

Kimberly-Clark, which has been a long-time leader in the science and technology of filtration media, as well as other media producers, needs to match not only the new demand for healthy air quality but also deliver the lowest possible pressure drops to ensure the least amount of additional strain on the HVAC equipment as possible. Additionally, converters will need to partner with media manufactures that have the ability to service their needs, as well as the industry demands, during these times of global pandemics.

The full article is found at

https://www.filtnews.com/the-future-of-filtration-how-does-covid19-change-the-filtration-industry/

Microglass or Membrane Media

AAF says that. Microglass media filters still have their place, such as high-temperature applications. However, membrane media offers compelling reasons to make a switch in HEPA and ULPA filter media.

Particles that are 0.5μm in size or smaller tend to follow increasingly erratic paths as particle size decreases, a phenomenon known as the diffusion effect. As such, HEPA and ULPA filters are often rated according to their most penetrating particle size, or the size of particles that most readily pass through them. As depicted in this line graph, filters that achieve the same efficiency rating, in this case ULPA filters rated at 99.999%, are not necessarily equal in their MPPS performance.

Microglass and Membrane ULPA media MPPS


Replacing Filters Safely with BIBO Units

AAF has systems which protect workers when replacing filters used in conjunction with isolation rooms.

Containment units provide a safe, reliable method for removing contaminated particles in hazardous environments. In particular, bag in-bag out (BIBO) equipment minimizes exposure to bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants. These units incorporate a bagging ring behind an access door, over which a PVC bag is attached, allowing maintenance personnel to avoid direct contact with contaminants on filters. 

Robust units, such as the one in the diagram below, come self-contained with HEPA filter, prefilter, bag in bag out system for safe filter replacement, isolation damper, base, and exhaust stack. These systems allow existing rooms to be transformed quickly into isolation rooms for infected patients.

Location of Containment Unit

 

Chinese Meltblown Prices Fall to $2800 Per Ton

Prices of melt-blown PP grade 1500 fell to 20,000 yuan/t ($2,820/t) this week from a peak of Yn80,000/t in early April. Prices of high-melt-index fibre grade PP also declined to Yn8,300-8,450/t ex-warehouse this week from a peak of Yn30,000/t two months ago.

Their price premiums to PP raffia have narrowed to a reasonable level over the last three weeks. Domestic raffia prices were at Yn7,700-7,900/t ex-warehouse this week, up by Yn200/t from last week. Some PP plants are shifting back to producing more raffia grade. Around 40pc of PP plants were producing the fibre grade in early April compared with the usual 10pc now.

Inventories of polyethylene and PP at Chinese state-controlled producers Sinopec and PetroChina rose slightly to 730,000t on June 3rd from 705,000t last week. But this is still within typical inventory levels of around 700,000-800,000t.

China's overall PP market has lost some support following the fall in domestic demand for face masks. Seasonal demand for PP is declining as well, although supplies have also fallen in the second quarter of this year amid ongoing turnarounds.

 

What Would be Melt Blown Revenues with Widespread Efficient Mask Use?

In the Alert yesterday we made the case that most of the world’s 7.6 billion people will need to wear  efficient masks to successfully vanquish COVID.  At $3000 per ton and 600,000 masks per ton = $0.005 meltblown cost per mask. With a three layer mask the non-woven cost could be $0.015 per mask.  If three billion people averaged 100 disposable masks per year, the production would be 300 billion masks per year.  The meltblown media market would be $1.5 billion per year and the total media market would be $4.5 billion per year.

It is likely that nanofibers and membranes will take market share away from meltblowns. They will be more expensive but will be washable so the media market revenue could be about the same with a high membrane market share.