Respirators are designed to help reduce the wearer’s respiratory exposure to airborne contaminants such as particles that are small enough to be inhaled – particles less than 100 microns (μm) in size.
This study summarizes the general information about face masks and respiratory devices, face mask and respirator types, some related standards, and finally application of nanofibers in these devices.
As fiber diameter decreases, the most penetrating particle size decreases and the capture efficiency of the most penetrating particle size increases. In this point nanofibers could be the key elements for filter materials in face masks or respirators. They have very high surface area per unit mass that enhances capture efficiency and other surface area-dependent phenomena that may be engineered into the fiber surfaces (such as catalysis or ion exchange).
Nanofibers could enhance filter performance for capture of naturally occurring nanoparticles such as viruses, as well as micron-sized particles such as bacteria or man-made particles such as soot from diesel exhaust.
Read the full paper: IOP Publishing .pdf
