Coronavirus Technology Solutions
October 26, 2020

CATE Masks are the Future

Midwest Filter Cost Evaluations are Useful but Need Interpretation in the Pandemic

HALO Life Inc Provides Tight Fitting Efficient, Comfortable and Attractive Masks

Revolution Fibres Makes Rolls of Electrospun Media

Rosmerta Group Produces 15 Million Masks per Month in India

______________________________________________________________________________

CATE Masks are the Future

Comfortable-attractive-tight fitting - efficient  (CATE) masks are the future not only for the wealthy but for all the citizens of the world. Tight fitting-Efficient  (TE) which are not comfortable or attractive are worn by healthcare personnel. And yet they walk through hospital waiting rooms and offices which are anything but antiseptic. The local hospital now has a player piano and floor to ceiling drapes in the lobby. If hospitals see the need for investments in attractiveness why subject patients to skimpy surgical gowns and hospital personnel to garments which are just as unattractive.

It will be harder to make the argument for comfort and attractiveness in hospital apparel than it will be for the average citizen just trying to protect himself from COVID.  Northern winters can be deadly. The choice of ski hat is potentially a life or death decision. However, the purchase decisions not only take health into account but also attractiveness and comfort.

Most available masks are not TE. Those that are TE are  generally not CA. Previous Alerts by McIlvaine have documented the need for TE masks. But unless you add the CA, people will not wear them as much as they should.

Efficiency and a tight fit are critical at high viral risk. Comfort is important at all loads but at high viral risk which is load times hours it is more important than at lower risk levels.  Attractiveness is independent of virus risk.

Most people will spend nearly all their time in lower risk environments where the value assigned to attractiveness and comfort is equal to that of the tight fit and efficiency. McIlvaine is forecasting a mask market of hundreds of billions of dollars per year with most of it in the low risk category where attractiveness will be a major influence in the selection.

This assertion can be supported by the common metric which measures all harm and good called Quality Enhanced Life Days (QELD).  It is not an artificial mathematical formula it is simply the  measurement of individual desires. the average individual would rather live to 80, socialize  and eat ice cream than live to 100 in solitary confinement. McIlvaine introduced the concept nine years ago to evaluate the choice of single use vs reusable surgical gowns.

The selection of an attractive mask is equivalent to eating ice cream, wearing $200 gym shoes or  a hoodie. It adds QELD with no additional health benefit. On the other hand if the individual wears the mask more frequently because it is attractive there is a health benefit.

The CATE segment of the market will be far larger than the TE market pre-COVID. When considerations of air pollution, allergies, and wild fires are added to the analysis it is likely that the market will not spike and retreat to previous lows but instead continue to be very substantial.

Analysis of the technology is covered in Daily Alerts and webinars which are part of Coronavirus Technology Solutions Click here for more information

Forecasts for the CATE mask market are included in the High Efficiency Mask Market and Supplier program  Click here to view a video description or Click here for the power point display

Bob McIlvaine can answer your questions at 847 226 2391 or rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com

Midwest Filter Cost Evaluations are Useful but Need Interpretation in the Pandemic

Founded in 1950, Midwest Air Filter, Inc. has provided air filtration products to the commercial, industrial, institutional and residential HVAC marketplace for over 60 continuous years.

It stocks filters in three locations throughout Michigan and fabricates special size products to assure prompt delivery at competitive prices. It has developed a Total Filtration Management Team (TFM)  tailored to the customers’ specifications while utilizing employee’s areas of expertise. This allows a multi-disciplinary approach. It does provide filters for COVID related applications. It works with facility managers to help provide clean air solutions in hospitals, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, dentist offices, and operating rooms. 

Midwest sells Filtration Group products. It also sells niche products from a few other manufacturers. This includes paint booth filters and high temperature stainless steel filters.

The following analysis by Midwest was prepared last year and needs to be interpreted for the pandemic environment.  But the main theme is important which is you have to balance pressure drop and dust holding capacity to provide the optimum combination of filter investment and energy cost. In the COVID environment this means more efficient filters but dust holding capacity can be extended with the right pre-filter.

When evaluating multiple filters against each other, it is very common to focus on the initial DP as the primary indicator of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of a given product. However, that is only one part of the story. As it turns out, the Dust Holding Capacity (DHC), or more generically, the amount of dirt and other particulates a filter can hold until it reaches its maximum recommended operating pressure is just as important.

In the chart below, they show three products with three different performance levels – the first is a pleat with an initial DP of 0.4” w.c. and a DHC of 75g. The second pleat has ½ the initial DP but the same DHC, and the third product has double the DHC but the same initial DP as the first pleat. In this scenario, they find that products two and three have essentially the exact same TCO, both saving 19% compared to the first product when changed out on the same interval.

Just because a filter lasts a long time, doesn’t mean it should – change it out early.

Energy provider PG&E recommends regular filter maintenance as the #1 way to save energy on commercial and industrial buildings. Despite that, there are products out there that advertise a longer life than standard products, which is driven by a higher than average DHC. The best way to take advantage of that performance is not to change it out at its final life, but instead to change it out early. While you could save around 45% on your filters annually by using the better filter longer, it actually drives up the TCO by around 5% in this example because of increased energy usage. Changing the same filter out at four months instead allows for TCO savings of 17%.

Look at the whole system, not just each filter individually.

Always remember the filters are a part of a system and each filter should not be looked at individually. Just because you have a spot for a prefilter does not mean you need one. Products with high amounts of media like 4-V bank minipleats in low dust applications are probably better without a prefilter to reduce the overall system pressure drop. On the other hand, high dust applications should have a higher MERV (11-13) pre or secondary filter to protect the more expensive efficiency filter to make it last. Naturally, there are many “in-between” installations that require a MERV 8-10 prefilter.

HALO Life Inc Provides Tight Fitting Efficient, Comfortable and Attractive Masks

HALO Life Inc is a mask provider headquartered in Santa Rosa CA.  Keith N Anderson is CEO. Until recently he is chief marketing officer at Penny Inc. The concept of the HALOmask was conceived four years ago in New Zealand, When volcanoes erupted in Indonesia, its masks protected many from toxic silica ash. Wild fires and polluted air in Asian cities are other common uses.

With the global outbreak of coronavirus, the mission has become laser-focused to protect as many people as possible with the most comfortable, stylish and efficient mask on the face of the Earth.

The company makes the following claims about its masks

1.      Superior Nano-filtration that protects from a wide range of airborne pathogens, pollens & pollutants

2.      Superior Design and ultra-comfortable contour-fit that prevents air-leaks and can be worn for HOURS at a time

3.      Superior Style that reflects  personal fashion sense

The HALOmask uses proprietary SETA™ Nanofiber filters 

HALOmask filters have been laboratory tested to capture 99.99% of all airborne pollutants and contaminants at PM2.5 microns, and 97.9% at 0.3 microns – which exceeds N95 filter standards. Tests have been conducted by Nelson Labs.

The mask’s engineered contour-fit design provides a tight seal and prevents air leaks, the ultra-thin SETA nanofiber filter allows maximum breathability and protection.  Four sizes are available.

HALOmasks are durable, reusable with replaceable filters and fully adjustable to any face.

The mask sells for around $35 and a set of three replaceable filters with a recommended life of 200 hours each can be purchased for about $15.

The company has responded to the global pandemic by rapidly scaling manufacturing capacity to produce millions of HALOmasks for use worldwide. The immediate goal is to provide a safe, comfortable and stylish alternative to cheap paper and ineffective fabric masks.

The proprietary filters are made in New Zealand, the company is currently working with a third generation garment manufacturer in Hong Kong that manages manufacturing in China and in Cambodia. It is also evaluating factories in the United States, Mexico, Turkey, and elsewhere. It ships from warehouses in Nevada and Pennsylvania.

As the coronavirus recedes there are still compelling reasons to wear a protective facemask. Whether commuting, walking or biking in traffic, being exposed to dust, ash or smoke, suffering allergies or chemical sensitivity, or living in industrial or agricultural regions, wearing an effective facemask makes a WORLD of difference, physically, emotionally and psychologically! the company  predicts that wearing a stylish facemask will become an accepted part of fashion-forward society for years to come.

Revolution Fibres Makes Rolls of Electrospun Media

This New Zealand Company was focused on air filters in 2009 when it started developing sonic electrospun nanofibers.  Today these are used in many applications from fishing rods to filters. Known as SETA nanofiber material it is used in products such as the HALO mask.

Dr. Fabrice Karabulut RD & Implementation Scientist has provided details on the performance.

Most toxic particulate compounds are smaller than 1 micrometer in diameter. Conventional mechanical fibrous filters (such as MB filters) remove micrometer-sized particles with high efficiency. However, for particles in the submicron range, ES NF are considered better as they offer enhanced filtration performance. This is due to their high surface area and small pore diameter. Electrospun nanofibre are characterized by a very large surface area, which significantly increases the probability of the particles depositing on the fibre surface - thereby improving the filter efficiency. In addition, ES NFs have low basis weight, high permeability, and tight pore size that make them appropriate for a wide range of filtration applications. ES NF filters have a thinner fibre diameter (10 - 300 nm), and a smaller and more uniform pore size than common MB N95 face masks, which are made of PP fibres with diameters in the range of ∼ 500 - 1000 nm.

Some particles in the nano range (∼ 100 - 500 nm) are difficult to filter as they do not behave entirely according to one capture mechanism. Filtration of MPPS particles require uniform multiple nanofibre layers, which defer the particles so that they obey one of the mechanisms. Multilayer filters are often hindered by poor breathability and high pressure drop, which is undesirable for filters. However, electrospinning enables control of the porosity, packing density, fibre diameter and surface area of the nanofibers.

Breathing comfort is commonly associated with pressure drop. However, moisture transportation is another important factor to consider. A recent study conducted breathability tests through N95 MB and ES NF masks to evaluate their water vapor transmission rates (WVTR). It was observed that the WVTR of ES NF filters was superior. MB filters have sponge-like structures which resist moisture. Therefore, moisture takes longer to pass through the filter.

A study was performed on the reusability of MB and ES NF filters when cleaned with ethanol (sprayed and dipped). The results showed that MB filters are only effective for single use due to the steep reduction of filtration efficiency after ethanol cleaning (to ∼ 64%). This is because the electrostatic charge of MB filter is lost when cleaned, leading to a dramatic drop in performance. MB filters lose static electricity when exposed to water and moisture, diminishing their filtering effect to almost half the original performance. In stark contrast, it was found that ES NF filters can be successfully reused multiple times after cleaning with ethanol as the filtration efficiency remains constant.

https://www.revolutionfibres.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/MB-vs.-NF-White-Paper.pdf

Rosmerta Group Produces 15 Million Masks per Month in India

The Rosmerta Group has been entrenched in the transport sector of India for the last 20 years through products like Smart Card Driving License/ Vehicle Registration Cards, Speed Limiting Devices, Vehicle Tracking Systems (VTS/ITS), Inspection & Certification (I&C) Test Lanes, Automated Driving Test Tracks and High Security Registration Number Plates (HSRP). It has a Pan-India reach with over 4,000 employees spread across 300 offices in 20 states of India. It  serves a diverse range of customers ranging from Central & State Governments, Automobile OEMs, State Transport Corporations and Private Institutions.

Having felt the need to support clients and employees during the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic, it set up a state of the art manufacturing facility for Surgical Masks as well as Filtering Face Piece Respirators. 

What started out as an experiment to use their established distribution chain set up to help OEM’s and dealerships with PPE like masks, respirators and sanitizers led Rosemerta to realize the huge gap in the market for quality products at affordable prices. 

HALO was conceptualized by the idea of introducing internationally certified products to the masses at value for money price points. Each HALO product meets international standards. And the facility is slated to be one of the best in the country with one of the highest production capacity of over 15 million masks a month.

Rosemerta has evaluated the three different kinds of masks available in India: Cotton masks, surgical masks and FFPRs, commonly known as an N95.

According to the company cotton masks are nothing but cotton fabrics woven into a mask. These are readily available and can also be made at home. However, they aren’t very effective as they absorb any droplets they come into contact with. They are mostly very thin masks and are highly susceptible to the virus. They can get penetrated by up to 97% of the viral particles from the air.

The other alarming concern with cotton masks is its loose fit which makes it insufficient to be a protective barrier.

Surgical masks (3-ply) are effective in blocking splashes, large-particle droplets and even particles as small as the size of 0.3 micron. They have a strong barrier which can have a Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) of >99.8%. However, much like cotton masks, the loose fit of surgical masks don't provide complete protection from germs and other contaminants. These masks are best used when one is present in a controlled environment, which is why health workers use them.
 

A surgical mask can be worn when visiting family members, entertaining guests at home or at the workplace with fewer employees.

Lastly, a Filtering Face-Piece Respirator (commonly referred to as FFPR) which is commonly known as an N95 in India is a protective respiratory device which is specially designed to attain a very close facial fit and is extremely coherent in filtering airborne particles, viruses, bacteria, pollution making N95 as the best protection against COVID-19 when you are in a public space.

One must note that not all masks available in the market follow the best in industry practices. However,  HALO ensures that the quality of its masks exceed both domestic as well as international testing standards.

The surgical marks by HALO have three layered filters.

The first & third layer is the Non-Woven Spun Bond Fabric while the middle layer is the Virgin(Master Batch) Non-Woven Melt Blown Fabric.

The FFPRs produced by HALO have five layered filters.

The top most exterior layer is Non-Woven Spun Bond Fabric, followed by two layers of Virgin (MasterBatch) Non-Woven Melt Blown Fabric. The next layer is the Needle Punch Fabric, also commonly known as the Hot Air Cotton. And the innermost layer is the Hydrophilic Spun Bond Fabric. It is an absorbent material, and as such soaks up sweat and removes irritation of the skin (last/skin layer). This ensures easy breathability and one can wear the mask for a longer duration.