US 12,268,980 B2
Nanofiber filter medium for reusable facemask and filtering facepiece respirator
Yuepeng Zhang, Naperville, IL (US); Devon J. Powers, Lemont, IL (US); Krzysztof Pupek, Plainfield, IL (US); John N. Hryn, Hawthorn Woods, IL (US); Gregory K. Krumdick, Homer Glen, IL (US); and Santanu Chaudhuri, Countryside, IL (US)
Assigned to UCHICAGO ARGONNE, LLC, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed by UCHICAGO ARGONNE, LLC, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on Sep. 30, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/039,188.
Prior Publication US 2022/0096975 A1, Mar. 31, 2022
Int. Cl. B01D 3/08 (2006.01); A62B 17/00 (2006.01); A62B 23/02 (2006.01); B01D 39/08 (2006.01); B01D 46/00 (2022.01)
CPC B01D 39/083 (2013.01) [A62B 17/00 (2013.01); A62B 23/02 (2013.01); B01D 46/0028 (2013.01); B01D 2239/025 (2013.01); B01D 2239/0442 (2013.01); B01D 2239/0631 (2013.01); B01D 2239/065 (2013.01); B01D 2239/10 (2013.01); B01D 2239/1233 (2013.01); B01D 2279/65 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A reusable filtration element for personal protective equipment, the reusable filtration element comprising:
a fabric substrate;
a layer of polymer nanofibers electrospun on a surface of the fabric substrate, the layer of polymer nanofibers having a thickness between 20 and 70 micrometers, each of the nanofibers having a diameter of 2 micrometers or less, and each of the nanofibers comprising polybenzimidazole; and
an anti-pathogen agent,
wherein:
the layer of polymer nanofibers comprises nanofibers that are structurally stable at temperatures up to 300° C.,
the reusable filtration element has a face velocity of greater than 14 cm/s at a pressure drop of less than 25 mmH2O, and
the anti-pathogen agent comprises one of a CuZn alloy nanoparticle, 4,5-dichloro-2-n-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, or 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichloro-phenoxy) phenol.