Abstract
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a surge in demand for N95 or equivalent respirators that the global supply chain was unable to satisfy. This shortage in critical equipment has inspired research that addresses the immediate problems and has accelerated the development of the next-generation filtration media and respirators. This article provides a brief review of the most recent work with regard to face respirators and filtration media. We discuss filtration efficiency of the widely utilized cloth masks. Next, the sterilization of and reuse of existing N95 respirators to extend the existing stockpile is discussed. To expand near-term supplies, optimization of current manufacturing methods, such as melt-blown processes and electrospinning, has been explored. Future manufacturing methods have been investigated to address long-term supply shortages. Novel materials with antiviral and sterilizable properties with the ability for multiple reuses have been developed and will contribute to the development of the next generation of longer lasting multi-use N95 respirators. Finally, additively manufactured respirators are reviewed, which enable a rapidly deployable source of reusable respirators that can use any filtration fabric. Graphic abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 822-831 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | MRS Bulletin |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 2021 |
Funding
This work was supported by DOE Office of Science through the National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory (NVBL), a consortium of DOE national laboratories focused on response to COVID-19, with funding provided by the Coronavirus CARES Act and Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Advanced Manufacturing Office. This work was partially performed at the Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and was supported by the Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Scientific User Facilities Division of the US Department of Energy under Contract No. DEAC02-05CH11231. The authors would like to thank R. Wilton, D. Powers, and K. Pupek at Argonne National Laboratory for their contribution in antiviral filtration media development. Use of the Center for Nanoscale Materials, an Office of Science user facility, was supported by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. This research used resources of the Advanced Photon Source, a US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility, operated for the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the US Department of Energy (DOE). The US government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for US government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan ( http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-accessplan ). This work was supported by DOE Office of Science through the National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory (NVBL), a consortium of DOE national laboratories focused on response to COVID-19, with funding provided by the Coronavirus CARES Act and Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Advanced Manufacturing Office. This work was partially performed at the Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and was supported by the Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Scientific User Facilities Division of the US Department of Energy under Contract No. DEAC02-05CH11231. The authors would like to thank R. Wilton, D. Powers, and K. Pupek at Argonne National Laboratory for their contribution in antiviral filtration media development. Use of the Center for Nanoscale Materials, an Office of Science user facility, was supported by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. This research used resources of the Advanced Photon Source, a US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility, operated for the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the US Department of Energy (DOE). The US government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for US government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan (http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-accessplan).
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| DOE Public Access Plan | |
| National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory | |
| U.S. Department of Energy | DEAC02-05CH11231 |
| Advanced Manufacturing Office | |
| Office of Science | |
| Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy | |
| Basic Energy Sciences | |
| Argonne National Laboratory | DE-AC05-00OR22725, DE-AC02-06CH11357 |
Keywords
- Antiviral properties
- Filtration efficiency
- Manufacturing methods
- N95 respirators and filter
