The disclosure relates to a mask including a perforated exterior shell sized to cover the nose and mouth of a user and constructed of one or more fabric layers, and a removable multi-layer nonwoven fabric insert sized to cover the nose and mouth of a user and adapted for abutting contact with the exterior shell, the nonwoven fabric including a layer of a spunbond material and a layer of meltblown material adjacent to the layer of spunbond material.

A spunbond non-woven fabric includes a thermoplastic continuous filament. A CV value of air permeability of the non-woven fabric is 15% or less, bending resistance in a machine direction of the non-woven fabric is 40 mN or more and 80 mN or less, the non-woven fabric includes a projected part and a recessed part, and in a non-woven fabric cross-section, a thickness from one surface to another surface of the projected part is determined to be t.sub.A, a thickness from one surface to another surface of the recessed part is determined to be t.sub.B, and respective distances from one surface of the projected part to one surface of the recessed part are determined to be t.sub.C and t.sub.D (t.sub.C<t.sub.D), and the non-woven fabric has a relation represented by formulas (1) and (2) below:

0.5≤1−t.sub.B/t.sub.A<1.0  (1)

0.65<t.sub.C/t.sub.D<1.0  (2).

A thermoplastic core-sheath fiber comprises: a polymer fiber core having a coextensive sheath layer disposed thereon, and an electrostatic charge enhancing additive. The sheath layer may comprise poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) and the fiber core and the sheath layer have different compositions. At least one of the fiber core or the sheath layer comprises an electret charge. A nonwoven fibrous web comprising the core-sheath fibers and a respirator including the nonwoven fibrous web are also disclosed.

A product and method of manufacturing and producing antimicrobial fibers using an antimicrobial additive material. The method comprising using various antimicrobial metals incorporated and embedded into an inorganic material as metal ions within the additive material that can be formulated into a masterbatch precursor material and processed to manufacture fine or synthetic fibers using standard manufacturing processes for use in applications from face masks and respirators to air filters for HVAC and higher efficiency HEPA applications.

A moisture-retentive fabric medium includes a hydrophilic, thermoplastic polyester fiber as a blend of from 10-905% or 20-80% by total weight of textile fibers and 90-10% or 80-20% by total weight of hydrophilic textile fibers and less than 0.5% by weight of total fabric medium as microfibrillated cellulose fiber and less than 0.05% by weight superabsorbent polymers, the polyester having a melting point between 190-500 F when measured in accordance with ASTM D-3418.

A process for predicting and adjusting particle removal efficiency of fiber-based filter media based on quantification of disorder. An order parameter may be extracted through Raman spectroscopy or scanning electron microscopy. Production processes may be adjusted to change (e.g., increase) the particle removal efficiency of fiber-based filter media utilizing a predefined correlation between order parameter and particle removal efficiency. The filter media may be utilized in masks, filters, and other applications.

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner filter bag composed primarily of plastic recyclates.

Embodiments disclosed herein include a stitched filtering fabric including a barrier layer configured to inhibit air flow through the filtering fabric, a yarn stitched through and forming a plurality of stitch holes in the barrier layer, and a first yarn layer comprising interlocking loops of the yarn. The barrier layer is configured to direct air flow through the yarn within the stitched holes.

A filter assembly comprises an air filter medium and a prefilter medium. The prefilter medium comprises a second nonwoven fibrous web comprising poly(4-methylpentene) and an electrostatic charging additive and has a second electret charge. The filter assembly is configured such that air passing through the prefilter is directed through the air filter medium. A respirator includes the filter assembly. A prefilter assembly comprises a third nonwoven fibrous web retained by a prefilter frame. The third nonwoven fibrous web comprises: core-sheath fiber comprising a fiber core having a poly(4-methylpentene) sheath layer disposed thereon; and an electrostatic charging additive, wherein the electrostatic charging additive is contained in at least one of the fiber core or the sheath layer. The third nonwoven fibrous web has a third electret charge.

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.