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.

The present invention provides a filter material comprising an antistatic substrate having a predefined antistatic capacity, and one or more layers of nanofibers applied on the substrate. The one or more layers of nanofibers may be fabricated to have gradient structure in various parameters including thickness of nanofiber layer, nanofiber pore size, nanofiber diameter, nanofiber content and the like to suit different filtration applications. The present invention also provides a face mask comprising the filter material and a method for making the filter material.

The present invention provides a filter material comprising an antistatic substrate having a predefined antistatic capacity, and one or more layers of nanofibers applied on the substrate. The one or more layers of nanofibers may be fabricated to have gradient structure in various parameters including thickness of nanofiber layer, nanofiber pore size, nanofiber diameter, nanofiber content and the like to suit different filtration applications. The present invention also provides a face mask comprising the filter material and a method for making the filter material.

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.

A list of highly suitable textiles and a method to combine them into a durable reusable filtration medium with high particles filtration efficiency (PFE) and breathability that lasts over 50-75 laundering cycles. Filtration medium achieves PFE only through mechanical means, without fragile and harmful physicochemical pre-treatments. Different textiles are assembled considering their individual breathability and their complementary in terms of PFE on different particles' sizes to achieve good breathability and high PFE on a large range (20 nm-4 μm) after many laundering cycles, or several layers of the same textile are paired, while varying the fibers' orientation and dimensions in each layer to increase efficiency. This assembling method highly improves PFE, service life and performances' stability of the filtration medium by addressing structural weaknesses linked to anisotropy in each layer, and by protecting their fine fibers from mechanical wear and clogging through a face-to-face closed filtration cell-type pairing.

A list of highly suitable textiles and a method to combine them into a durable reusable filtration medium with high particles filtration efficiency (PFE) and breathability that lasts over 50-75 laundering cycles. Filtration medium achieves PFE only through mechanical means, without fragile and harmful physicochemical pre-treatments. Different textiles are assembled considering their individual breathability and their complementary in terms of PFE on different particles' sizes to achieve good breathability and high PFE on a large range (20 nm-4 μm) after many laundering cycles, or several layers of the same textile are paired, while varying the fibers' orientation and dimensions in each layer to increase efficiency. This assembling method highly improves PFE, service life and performances' stability of the filtration medium by addressing structural weaknesses linked to anisotropy in each layer, and by protecting their fine fibers from mechanical wear and clogging through a face-to-face closed filtration cell-type pairing.

The present disclosure provides for filters, filter systems, methods of using filter systems, and methods of detecting targeting airborne particles, and the like. The present disclosure provides for filters that can capture one or more types of targeted airborne particulates, where the presence of each of the targeted airborne particulates can then be detected. The filters can be used in industrial gas systems, laboratory gas systems, HVAC systems, portable filter systems, respirator systems, and other residential, commercial, or industrial air circulation or air control systems.

A method for producing a fibrous web includes: (a) a fibrous ply containing polylactide fibers and, as necessary, other fibers are laid on a substrate in a random fiber arrangement, (b) initially a loose, pre-compressed nonwoven is created by applying a first pressure to the fibrous ply, the tear resistance of which nonwoven permits free bridging of a span between 0.1 m and 1 m before the nonwoven tears, (c) the pre-compressed nonwoven is then passed through the calender gap, wherein a pattern consisting of point or linear pressure zones is formed in the gap, with the fibers in the pressure zones being exposed to a second pressure, which is higher than the first pressure, and to a temperature such that the fibers fuse.

A barrier is provided to be placed between a first region and a second region, to prevent passage of pathogens between the first and second regions. The barrier includes a single ply layer treated with pathogenicidal components. The single ply layer includes a first side directed toward the first region, and includes an outer surface coated with the pathogenicidal components such that pathogens in the first region are incident on the outer surface of the first side. The single ply layer also includes a second side directed toward the second region, and includes an outer surface coated with the pathogenicidal components such that pathogens in the second region are incident on the outer surface of the second side. The pathogenicidal components coated on the outer surfaces of the first and second side deactivate the pathogens incident on the outer surface of the respective first and second sides.

A fibrous media suitable for an oil filter comprising a fibrous web formed from synthetic fibers; optionally at least one additive, and a thermoset binder present at a concentration of at least 15 wt.-% by weight of the fibrous web and/or at least one binder fiber, wherein the synthetic fibers comprise up to 30 wt.-%, preferably up to 20 wt.-%, glass fibers, based on the total weight of the fibers. The fibers are bonded with the thermoset binder and/or the at least one binder fiber to form a web; and the fibrous media is capable of forming a self-supporting, pleated oil filter media which is capable of retaining pleats upon contact with oil having a temperature in the range encountered in a combustion engine.