Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to coated substrates having, e.g., anti-viral properties, to articles including the coated substrates, and to processes for making such coated substrates and articles. In an embodiment, a mask for preventing infection by a virus is provided. The mask includes a coated substrate having a breathing resistance (95 L/min, EN 149:2001) of about 6 mbar or less and a water droplet absorption time of less than about 5 seconds. The coated substrate includes a non-woven fabric having a weight of about 120 g/m.sup.2 or less according to ASTM D3776, and mineral oxide particles, iron oxide particles, or both, coupled to at least a portion of the non-woven fabric.

The present invention falls within the area of polymeric materials applied to the sector of manufacturing materials for use in filters for filtration equipment such as ventilators and for protective masks. In particular, the invention relates to multilayer filters for ventilators and protective masks which can be biodegradable and which comprise filtration materials based on ultrafine fibers obtained by electrohydrodynamic and aerohydrodynamic processing and which exercise passive FFP1, FFP2, N95 and FFP3 protection and which can also be washable and have active antimicrobial properties.

Various embodiments disclosed relate to a fire-resistant filter and methods of making and using the same. A filter includes a fibrous web or sheet comprising fire-resistant fibers, the fire-resistant fibers comprising oxidized polyacrylonitrile (OPAN), flame-retardant (FR) rayon, or a combination thereof.

A nonwoven fabric including a first layer made of spunbond fibers and a second layer made of meltblown fibers, wherein the first layer is bonded with the second layer, and wherein the spunbond fibers of the first layer are interspersed with the meltblown fibers of the second layer so that the nonwoven fabric exhibits enhanced breathability and filtration properties. In exemplary embodiments, the nonwoven fabric may be used in personal protective equipment, such as, for example, face masks and respirators.

Filter media including out-of-plane solid elements are generally described. Inventive methods of forming them and uses thereof are also described.

A non-shedding hybrid nonwoven web comprised of 99% by mass of functional material(s) co-mingled with the filaments. High level of particle retention within the fabric is provided without the aid of adhesives, binders, adhesive polymers, or post processes. This composite web has a multi-layered structure with a uniform distribution of sorptive particles and desired opposed color contrast on each side. The process includes providing two converging streams of blown polymeric filaments, passive feed of functional material(s) in between the filament streams, and collecting the hybrid webs.

A filtration medium for a filter, having high dust collection efficiency, low pressure loss, a long service life and sufficient processing strength into a filter. A combined fiber nonwoven fabric includes first fibers having a mean fiber diameter of less than 200 nanometers, and second fibers having a mean fiber diameter in the range of 200 to 5000 nanometers, in which basis weight of the combined fiber nonwoven fabric is in the range of 2.1 to 15.0 g/m.sup.2.

An air conditioner of the present disclosure includes a fan filter unit whose power consumption efficiency determined by the following equation is 600 kWh/(m.sup.2.Math.yr) or less when the fan filter unit is operated in such a manner that blowing efficiency η of a fan is 0.75. In the following equation, Q represents a nominal flow rate (m.sup.3/sec) of an air filter unit, ΔP represents a pressure loss (Pa) of the air filter unit measured when air passes through the air filter unit at the nominal flow rate of the unit, and S represents an opening area (m.sup.2) of the air filter unit. Equation: power consumption efficiency kWh/(m.sup.2.Math.yr)={(Q×ΔP)/(η×1000)}×(24×365)/S. The air conditioner of the present disclosure is suitable for reducing power consumption even when including the air filter unit which is large in size and has high filtration performance. An air filter unit of the present disclosure is suitable for the air conditioner of the present disclosure.

The present invention relates to a filter medium being at least formed of a pre-filter sub-strate 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 work-ing 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.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to adhesive alloys and their use in filter media, and in particular to adhesive alloys that can be melt blown onto a filter media layer, and which are thermally activated to bond the filter media layer to another filter media layer. An adhesive alloy is provided. A thermally activated adhesive has a first melting temperature. A polymer has a second melting temperature greater than the first melting temperature. A ratio of the thermally activated adhesive in the adhesive alloy is in a range of 5 wt % to 70 wt %.