A head garment is made of elastically stretchable fabric configured to fit over and surround the head of a wearer and conform substantially to the shape of the wearer's head. The head garment has an eye opening positioned to allow the wearer to see therethrough, and a protective eye shield completely covering the eye opening. A multi-layer filter portion is configured to cover the wearer's mouth and at least a lower part of the wearer's nose and has three or more filter layers for filtering air during breathing. Additional filter layers may be added to the multi-layer filter portion to enhance or modify the filtering properties. The multi-layer filter portion may be configured as a removable filter pack that can be removed and replaced by other filter packs having different filtering properties.

A system for thermally bonding nonwoven fibers of assemblages of nonwoven fibers loosely held together may include a processing duct including an inlet end, an outlet end, and an intermediate portion extending between the inlet end and the outlet end. The system also may include one or more heat inlets located in the intermediate portion and configured to facilitate introduction of heat and air flow into the intermediate portion. The system further may include an inlet air feed at the inlet end and configured to separate the assemblages upon entry into the inlet end and propel the assemblages into the intermediate portion. The system also may include one or more heating devices configured to heat the assemblages as the assemblages are conveyed toward the outlet end to form processed assemblages, each of the processed assemblages including at least some nonwoven fibers adhered to one another.

A thermally bonded filtration media that can be used in high temperature conditions in the absence of any loss of fiber through thermal effects or mechanical impact on the fiber components is disclosed. The filter media can be manufactured and used in a filter unit or structure, can be placed in a stream of removable fluid, and can remove a particulate load from the mobile stream at an increased temperature range. The combination of bi-component fiber, other filter media fiber, and other filtration additives provides an improved filtration media having unique properties in high temperature, high performance applications.

A filtration media with improved filtration, strength, tear resistance and air permeability in the form of a relatively thin and lightweight wet-laid fibrous web that has a wet Mullen ratio of 60% to 80% to ensure that the media is flexible enough to be formed into a fluted structure, and strong enough to retain the fluted structure when wound into a roll and to permit further processing without the media becoming too brittle. The filtration media comprises a blend of cellulose and synthetic fibers having a weight percent of 81 wt % to 87 wt % of a weight of the media and a resin binder having a weight of 13 wt % to 19 wt % (preferably about 16 wt %) of the weight of the media.

The present invention relates to a filter medium being at least formed of a pre-filter substrate laminated with a fine-filter substrate by means of a third binder, wherein the pre-filter substrate comprises synthetic fibers and a first binder, the pre-filter substrate working as a combined surface and depth filter, and the fine-filter substrate comprises at least a second binder and one of synthetic fibers and inorganic fibers.

Systems and methods are provided for continuously manufacturing fibrous materials and products, such as filters. A system comprises a conveyor for advancing a substrate comprising fibrous materials from an upstream end to a downstream end, and a feeder for feeding groups of nanofibers into a fluid medium. A fiberization device is coupled to the feeder and configured to convert the groups of nanofibers into individual nanoparticles. A dispersion device coupled to the fiberization device disperses the nanoparticles into the substrate to form a fibrous material. This distributes the nanoparticles more uniformly throughout the fibrous material. In addition, the system continuously manufactures the material to form a product with improved quality, yield and reduced cost and time.

Systems, devices and methods are provided for producing a product comprising fibrous material, such as a filter. A system for manufacturing a product comprises a first device for isolating individual nanoparticles within a gaseous medium and a second device for combining the individual nanoparticles with fibers to form a product containing the fibers and the nanoparticles. This distributes the nanoparticles more uniformly throughout the product and in depth into the internal structure of the product. The nanoparticles increase the overall surface area within the filter media, which increases its filtration efficiency and allows for the capture of submicron contaminants without significantly compromising other factors, such as pressure drop through the filter. In addition, the filters produced with the systems and methods described herein are capable of withstanding rigorous conditioning, which allows a filter to achieve the same level of filtration performance throughout the lifetime of the filter.

Systems, devices and methods are provided for separating and/or isolating individual nanoparticles from groups or clusters of nanofibers within a gaseous medium. The system comprises a housing configured to contain the groups of nanofibers, and a pump coupled to the housing. The system further includes one or more passages coupled to the pump and a gaseous medium within the passages. The pump is configured to propel the nanofibers through, or with, the gaseous medium against one or more surface(s) within the passages at a sufficient velocity and/or momentum to open up or separate, the groups of nanofibers into individual nanoparticles. Isolating individual nanoparticles in a gaseous medium and then dispersing them into a substrate or a fluid stream to form a product allows the nanoparticles to be distributed more uniformly and “in depth” throughout the product.

The present application relates generally to filter media useful for manufacturing air filters for residential and commercial office's Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC), particularly to filters and filter media comprising soybean-based materials. The present invention provides an inexpensive, effective, environmentally friendly, and sustainable media for manufacturing HVAC air filters for residential and commercial buildings.

A method of inactivating a virus that includes the step of contacting a virus with an antiviral composition comprising a hybrid antiviral metal-associated amyloid fibril comprising metal nanoparticles on a surface of an amyloid fibril to contact a virus and an antiviral composition comprising metal nanoparticles on a surface of an amyloid fibril wherein the antiviral composition removes virus and bacterial contaminants in water or air to non-detectable levels when water or air comes into contact with the antiviral composition.