During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a dramatic rise in demand for N95 filtering face piece respirators (FFRs) to help protect healthcare and frontline workers from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. As one of the largest manufacturers of N95 respirators, 3M was confronted with the global supply chain challenge of increasing its production to over 2 billion respirators worldwide in 2020 to meet this unprecedented demand. Because electrostatically charged filter media is a critical component in N95 FFRs a key enabler in this attainment was prior technical work to establish a robust polyolefin resin supply chain. Here we present the results of studies to identify which material properties are critical for ensuring long-term stability of the electrostatic charge present within N95 filter media that allows it to provide high filtration efficiency at a comfortable breathing resistance.

Material considerations for enabling a robust N95 respirator supply chain

ACS Spring 2022

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