In order to address the sustainability and environmental issues associated with conventional HVAC filters, inventive HVAC filters have been developed that are completely biodegradable and compostable and exhibit Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) ratings that are superior to conventional HVAC filters. More particularly, it has been discovered that biodegradable electrospun nanofibers can be used to produce biodegradable HVAC filters that exhibit superior filtration performance relative to conventional HVAC filters produced from polypropylene electrostatic media or triboelectric nonwoven media.

As an accessory to smoke or vaporizer devices or integrated into same, or to accompany smokers in general, a personal air filter comprising multiple filter mediums and technologies, and various combinations thereof, including mechanical, chemical and electrostatic principles, is disclosed. The different mediums and components are sequentially incorporated into a compact unit that can fit easily into a user's bag, purse or pocket. Importantly, harmful organic compounds are targeted as well as nanoparticles. An additional feature is that the filter device is easily disassembled to replace and/or reuse inner and outer components.

A non-woven fabric composite and an article including the same are provided. The non-woven fabric includes an electrostatically treated meltblown non-woven fabric layer and a spunbond non-woven fabric layer on one or both sides thereof, and has a fine dust removal performance retention ratio, represented by Equation 1, of 80% or more:

Fine dust removal performance retention ratio (%)=(fine dust removal efficiency after accelerated aging treatment)/(fine dust removal efficiency before accelerated aging treatment)×100  [Equation 1]

wherein, in this equation, the fine dust is an aerosol containing sodium chloride dispersed in air, and the accelerated aging treatment refers to a case where the non-woven fabric composite is stored at a temperature of 70° C. for 3 days.

An embodiment is an article configured to inhibit or prevent pathogen growth. The article includes an inner layer configured to face a wearer's skin when the face covering article is applied to the face of the wearer; a middle layer adjacent to the inner layer; and an outer protection layer adjacent to the middle layer and opposite the inner layer and comprising a substrate and metal particles in the substrate, wherein the metal particles are configured to inhibit or prevent pathogen growth.

The invention provides a respirator mask comprising a filter material piece made from an air-permeable material and at least one securing band, wherein the air-permeable material comprises at least one layer of a non-woven biodegradable material, wherein the at least one securing band is designed for securing the respirator mask to the head.

The invention provides a respirator mask comprising a filter material piece made of an air-permeable material and at least one securing band, wherein the air-permeable material comprises at least one layer of a non-woven fabric comprising or consisting of fibres formed from one or more recycled plastic materials, and wherein the at least one securing band is designed for securing the respirator mask to the head.

The invention provides a respirator mask comprising a filter material piece made of an air-permeable material and at least one securing band, wherein the air-permeable material comprises at least one layer of a non-woven fabric and the layer of a non-woven fabric is creped, and wherein the at least one securing band is designed for securing the respirator mask to the head.

Provided is an antiviral filter medium. An antiviral filter medium according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a first member provided with an antiviral coating layer formed of fibers and including, on part or all of the outer surface of the fibers, an antiviral fusion protein in which an antiviral motif is bound to an adhesive protein. Accordingly, the antiviral filter medium exhibits antiviral properties, is excellent in filtration efficiency and ventilation amount (or flow rate), and has low pressure loss. In addition, the antiviral filter medium is characterized in that the coating layer exhibiting antiviral properties retains adhesiveness for a long period of time after being attached to the surface. Moreover, the antiviral filter medium can retain antiviral activity for a long time without loss of the antiviral activity due to external conditions during production, storage, and use.

An improved mechanical electrostatic filter assembly for filtering an air stream from particulates, comprising either a single cartridge or multiple cartridges positioned in a consecutive manner, either close together or separated from one another via air gaps, each of the multiple cartridges comprising inner filtering media, each of the multiple cartridges haying a back wall and a front wall, each of the back wall and each of the front wall having multiple openings through which the air stream is passing.

As the air stream with particulates approaching the improved mechanical electrostatic filter assembly, and hitting an outer surface of the front wall of a first cartridge, friction is established and the particulates get electrostatically charged, wherein the air stream with the electrostatically charged particulates passing through the multiple openings of the front wall and the electrostatically charged particulates are electrically coupled to the inner filtering media, the air stream exiting the first cartridge can pass through at least one additional cartridge for filtering the particulates remained in the air stream.

The present disclosure is directed toward an improved nanofibrous electret filtration media of which the stand-alone electret nanofibrous web comprises a single source randomly intermingled fiber network that yields high breathability due to the high porosity and improved filtration efficiency for use as improved filtration media for respiratory devices and face masks.