Use of Low Density Electrostatically Charged Melt Blown Composites With Improved Filtration Efficiency and Reduced Pressure Drop, 1996 Nonwovens Conference Proceedings
Peter P. Tsai and Larry C. Wadsworth
(TANDEC), UTK
Wayne T. Davis
Civil and Environmental Engineering, UTK
Melt blown (MB) nonwovens are used for air filters because their ultra fine fibers provide large surface area. However, the high packing density results in high pressure drop and only surface filtration for most particle sizes. This largely restricts their application to one-time-use disposable respirators, surgical face masks and operating room fabrics. This paper will describe the formation of low density MB composites produced by embedding staple fibers into the melt blowing fiber stream. These composites have bulk and lower pressure drop. Both the filtration efficiency and particle holding capacity are increased. The additional enhancement of filtration efficiency by electrostatically charging the composites will also be discussed.
Use of Low Density Electrostatically Charged Melt Blown Composites With Improved Filtration Efficien