Summary
This work asks how much filtration performance can be gained from the design of the mask itself rather than from new materials, combining experiments with numerical modelling. Single-layer filters of uniform fibre thickness are compared with double-layer designs in which a layer of thick, highly permeable fibres supports a finer filtering layer. Optimising the architecture raises both particle removal efficiency and the filter quality factor - the balance between capture and breathing resistance that decides whether a mask is actually wearable.
Authors & Affiliations
Linari Electrospinning Systems
Linari high voltage generator with grounded foil collector
A Linari Engineering generator was attached to the needle, with grounded aluminium foil as the collector. Producing two fibre populations of different thickness for a double-layer filter is a matter of changing solution and process parameters on the same machine - see our range of systems.