HiFYBER Nanofibers for Masks

Nanofiber media have established new levels of filtration in a variety of applications and in many different environments. There are several keys that explain the success of nanofibers and their implementation in more and more fields. The large surface-to-volume ratio, low resistance, and superior filtration performance make nanofibers an attractive material for manufacturers in many applications.

What are nanofibers?

Nanofibers are fibers with diameters in the nanometer range. We are therefore talking about nanostructures, a pioneering material architecture due to its unique properties, such as extremely high surface area, low density, high pore volume and controllable mechanical properties, compared to many other conventional materials. Controlling the diameter of the fibers has been possible thanks to the development of new engineering techniques, without which this new generation of materials would not be available.

Figures above show the homogeneous size of the nanoparticles, as well as their depth and spaces created for filtration.

Nanofibers for mask makers

There is an increase in the demand for air filtration media, for the manufacture of reusable and disposable facemasks, due to the need for protection against viruses, as well as the increase in the level of global contamination. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, airborne diseases, such as asthma, increase by 12% due to air pollution and other factors. In such a scenario, these masks act as a life saver.

On the other hand, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a filter mask respirator in situations such as the current pandemic.

Nanofibers produced by electrospinning have a wide range of applications in the healthcare, environmental engineering and energy storage sectors.

They are the best replacement for microfibers and thin films such as Meltblowns, due to their distinctive characteristics, including the larger contact surface, uniform morphology, consistency in structural properties, and simple technique for manufacturing nanofiber medias.

HiFYBER Electrospinning Equipment. Elmarco second generation electrospinning machine

Hifyber vs Meltblown nanofibers

Meltblown

Initial filtration efficiency drops dramatically as electrostatic force discharges with use.

Hifyber Nanofibers

• The colossal surface area created from the nanofiber network drastically increases mechanical filtration efficiency.
• Its operation is based on pure mechanical properties, not electrostatic. Thanks to this, the mask continues to maintain its high efficiency throughout its useful life.
• In Meltblown, the filtration efficiency of conventional masks degrades significantly over time due to discharge, while the nanofiber networks of the masks will retain their effectiveness.
• Hifyber’s unique network structure enables efficient filtration of harmful particles.

Efficiency of masks made with Hifyber Nanofibers vs conventional meltblown

The disappearance of the static charge is one of the possible reasons why the filtration efficiency of the Meltblown filter decreases when it is treated with ethanol.

As explained above, it is known that the filtration efficiency of the Meltblown filter is somewhat dependent on the static charge on its surface.

Hifyber also confirms that the original nanofiber filter has no static charge on its surface.

Importantly, the filtration efficiency of the nanofiber filter has a constant value of around 98%, regardless of the type of ethanol treatment.

The maintenance of the filtration efficiency of the Hifyber filter could be explained by its filtration mechanism using the difference in particle size without using static charge.