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NWI provides nonwoven materials to make face masks

15 Apr '20

3 min read

Pic: Shutterstock

The Nonwovens Institute (NWI) at North Carolina State University is proactively responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the full support of NC State, NWI is dedicating its melt-blown and spun-bond nonwoven making facilities and expertise to produce specially designed fabrics that can be delivered to US manufacturers to assemble face masks.

NWI is using its two research and training pilot production lines to produce face mask materials that will be used to protect medical workers on the front lines of fighting the effects of COVID-19. N95 respirators and surgical masks are generally a sandwich of one or two common nonwoven layers, so-called spun-bond layers that provide mask shape and protect the inner filtration layer, combined with a layer of nonwoven melt-blown material that serves as the filtration layer and captures microscopic unwanted particles like viruses and bacteria, according to NWI.

But because of the current critical need for masks caused by COVID-19, Behnam Pourdeyhimi, executive director of NWI, Wilson College of Textiles associate dean for industry research and extension, and his NWI team created a new spun-bond material that can serve as an effective filter without the need for a melt-blown filtration layer. The unique fabric is composed of two different polymer materials that are combined to make a single fibre with significant strength and bulk – and that shows effectiveness in filtration similar to current materials used.

“Because of the COVID-19 crisis, we took the spun-bond technology and created a new generation of unique filters that have excellent filtering capability and can potentially be reused after cleaning with peroxide, or potentially alcohol solution. Because these materials are strong, unlike classical melt-blown filters, they can also be cut and sewn by traditional techniques,” Pourdeyhimi said in a NWI press release.

Typically, one metre of spun-bond material provides enough material for about 20 to 25 masks when using the current designs. One of the NWI’s production lines started producing 2,000 metres of spun-bond material per hour, with the potential to create some 20,000 metres of spun-bond material in a day. NC State is currently in discussion with industrial partners to make masks with the material.

NWI’s other production line is a state-of-the-art melt-blowing pilot line that will make the classical melt-blown material for N95 masks and surgical masks. The melt-blown material takes a bit more time to produce; Pourdeyhimi estimates that his production line can make about 12,000 meters of material in one work shift.

Thanks to support from across the university, the NC State has ordered machines that will allow the NWI to make surgical masks in its Centennial Campus facilities. Those machines should arrive in the next month.

The outpouring of support offered internally by units such as the Office of Research and Innovation, the Office of Finance and Administration, the Office of the Provost, the Wilson College of Textiles and The Kenan Institute, as well as externally by industry partners, has been overwhelming, according to Pourdeyhimi.

ExxonMobil, for example, offered polymer materials to the university at no cost. Mask material production eats up approximately 25,000 pounds of polymer per week. Chemical manufacturing company, NatureWorks, has also offered polylactic acid (PLA) polymer for this effort. PLA is in short supply, but NatureWorks has secured the supply for NWI to ensure continuous production.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (GK)

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NWI provides nonwoven materials to make face masks

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