Coronavirus
Technology Solutions
April 10, 2020
Ahlstrom-Munksjö Fabrics Widely Used in
Coronavirus Mitigation
Now Metal Surfaces Can Be Instant Bacteria
Killers, Thanks to New Laser Treatment Technique
Meltblowns and Microfiberglass for Masks Covered
in April 9 CBS News Story
Production Shortages Cited by INDA
Masks Have Been Fashionable for Centuries
Nanofiber Membrane Mask Status in China
A Number of Chinese Companies Expanding Mask
Production
N95 Medical Mask Production in China is 1.7
million/day but Capacity is 25% Higher
Chinese Mask Producers Targeting Overseas Market
______________________________________________________________________________
Ahlstrom-Munksjö Fabrics Widely Used in
Coronavirus Mitigation
The coronavirus (COVID-19) has caused an
exceptional situation globally, creating an
incredible demand for healthcare goods in
general, and specifically
for protective medical products that are made
from Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s fabrics.
“Since the coronavirus outbreak began, the
company has been focused on supporting the
healthcare industry with our entire protective
fabric product portfolio. We have been
working closely with our customers around the
world to accommodate their pressing
needs,” explained Lionel Bonte, Vice President
of Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s Medical business”.
Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s manufacturing plants serving the
Medical business are currently experiencing
unprecedented levels of demand across the entire
medical
product portfolio. Ahlstrom-Munksjö is doing their very
best to manage this critical situation during
the COVID-19 pandemic. Several steps have been
taken to respond
to the tremendous demand especially for the
inner and outer coverstock fabrics used to make
face masks.
Ahlstrom Munsjo
is making media for 150 million face
masks per month.
“We have increased production significantly and
have been working with our suppliers to maintain
future raw material flow to help avoid
disruptions. We are constantly monitoring the
risks related to the supply chain to ensure our
manufacturing needs can be met.”
“The medical business unit’s average coverstock
fabric production contributes to an estimated
50-60 million finished face masks per month. As
a result of the increased demand from the
COVID-19 pandemic, that number has nearly
tripled. Ahlstrom-Munksjö is now producing the
coverstock fabric being used to make over 150
million face masks per month,” commented
Bonte.
Ahlstrom-Munksjö's common business platform
provides global resources, which has a positive
impact on supporting customer demand in the
healthcare industry. For example,
the Brignoud plant in France, part of the
Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s Nonwovens business, has
offered an alternative outer coverstock fabric
to help meet local requests in Europe. The
company also brings additional production
capacity to the market at the Turin,
Italy plant which is part of the Filtration
business. There, they have started production
for face mask materials with a machine usually
used for industrial filtration materials.
As a global company, Ahlstrom-Munksjö is
expanding the Medical business’ reach and
staying connected on a national and
international level based on official updates
provided by local government and institutions as
well as international organizations. Across the
world, individuals and corporations are doing
the best to identify innovative solutions to
address the critical needs for protective
apparel. Subject matter experts at
Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s Medical business team are
also providing support and guidance wherever and
whenever possible.
For decades the medical business has been
making fabrics used to construct surgical gowns
and drapes, pleated surgical face
masks, protective apparel and sterile barrier
systems. These high performing medical fabrics
are used around the world in operating rooms and
clinical environments to protect health care
workers and patients against viruses, bacteria
and fluids.
Not all medical nonwovens created equal
Not all medical nonwovens are created the same
way; they have different levels of protection
and properties for breathability and comfort.
Some fabrics are highly breathable, which helps
to keep the wearer cool and comfortable but have
limited barrier protection. Some offer a high
level of barrier protection but are not
breathable. Having a technology that offers both
protection and comfort is difficult to
achieve.
Ahlstrom-Munksjö‘s next generation breathable
viral barrier (BVB) fabric offers both
protection and comfort. Its tri-laminate
fabric is constructed to be impervious,
breathable and comfortable. The outer layer is
fluid repellent and durable. The barrier layer
has a reformulated monolithic film membrane
making it impervious to liquids, viruses and
bacteria, while the chemical composition of the
film itself allows moisture vapor to pass
through it, keeping the surgical staff cool and
dry. The darker inner layer is designed
to reduce shadowing and is soft to the touch,
which makes it comfortable to wear for long
periods of time.
Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s Medical
business employs around 700 people with sales
of approximately EUR 90 million in 2019. It has
a global sales network and operates two plants
and two converting lines.
In the Medical business,
Ahlstrom-Munksjö continues to expand and enhance
its medical product portfolio with personal
protective apparel fabrics and grow market share
in surgical drapes and
gowns. In sterilization wraps, the
company strives to strengthen its leading
position in Europe and grow as a solutions
provider through an enhanced service offering.
Now Metal Surfaces Can Be Instant Bacteria
Killers, Thanks to New Laser Treatment Technique
In a study published in the journal
Advanced Materials Interfaces,
the researchers demonstrated that this technique
allows the surface of copper to immediately kill
off superbugs such as MRSA.
“Copper has been used as an antimicrobial
material for centuries. But it typically takes
hours for native copper surfaces to kill off
bacteria,” said
Rahim Rahimi, a Purdue assistant
professor of
materials engineering.
“We developed a one-step laser-texturing
technique that effectively enhances the
bacteria-killing properties of copper’s
surface.”
The technique is not yet tailored to killing
viruses such as the one responsible for the
COVID-19 pandemic, which are much smaller than
bacteria.
Since publishing this work, however, Rahimi’s
team has begun testing this technology on the
surfaces of other metals and polymers that are
used to reduce risks of bacterial growth and
biofilm formation on devices such as orthopedic
implants or wearable patches for chronic wounds.
Giving implants an antimicrobial surface would
prevent the spread of infection and antibiotic
resistance, Rahimi said, because there wouldn’t
be a need for antibiotics to kill off bacteria
from an implant’s surface.
The paper is
available online open-access. B-roll
and additional photos of a new technique that
enhances the antimicrobial properties of copper
are available in a Google Drive folder at
https://purdue.university/2wPqYon. A
YouTube video is also available at
https://youtu.be/3vFFdNXsoN0.
Meltblowns and Microfiberglass for Masks Covered
in April 9 CBS News Story
Manufacturers of the material have been pushed
to produce at unprecedented levels, straining an
industry that relies on complex machinery and
specialized training that's part technical and
part "art form," according to some in the
industry.
"The supply chain has gotten nuts for this
particular material," said Nozi Hamidi, vice
president of marketing and business development
for SWM International, one of roughly two dozen
domestic manufacturers of melt blown material.
"We experienced this when SARS happened 17 or so
years ago, but not to this extent. This is just
absolutely insane."
In January SWM and other American manufacturers
began taking steps to increase production
capacity. SWM boosted capacity substantially by
hiring and training new workers and converting
its Middletown, Delaware plant so it could run
24 hours a day.
Even with that increase, Hamidi said the company
has had to warn new customers about long waits
and referred some to competitors.
"We're trying to not turn away people, but the
reality of the situation at least for us is
we're sold out well into 2020, so if we take on
a new customer right now, they basically have to
wait," Hamidi said. "We have to say to them that
it might be until the end of 2020 or into 2021
before we can actually get you going as a new
customer."
The melt blown material is made on 90-inch-wide
conveyor belts, coated in layers of fine white
plastic fibers that combined have the
consistency of cotton candy. Each thread is
simultaneously fed through one of thousands of
tiny precision-formed holes. A blast of hot air
on the other side fuses fibers together so
tightly that while air can pass through the
microscopic perforations between them, more than
95% of microbes can't get through.
That is what makes the melt blown layer the most
important part of the mask, and the hardest to
produce, according to Albert Shih, a University
of Michigan biomedical engineering professor.
"The outer two layers, there are plenty of
supplies, but this material is not easy to
obtain or make, and you cannot just start a new
line. You have to show that the microbes won't
penetrate it and get into the lungs," Shih said.
Production Shortages Cited by INDA
Even established companies are having trouble
boosting production because they can't simply
buy more machines, according to Dave Rousse,
president of INDA, the Association of the
Nonwoven Fabrics Industry.
"There are only five or six companies across the
globe that make these machines, and they're not
inexpensive. These are sizable machines, a lot
of technology, a lot of air handling, a lot of
electronics, a lot of precision moving parts,"
Rousse said. "Normally it's nine to 12 months
before you could get a machine delivery."
He added that INDA has explored using an
antiquated glass fiber material that was used
for filtration before melt blown became
standard.
"It's more brittle and, as you can imagine, not
as comfortable. But in a pinch, there might be
some folks who used to make that who can be
called back into action," Rousse said.
Rousse said the demand for face masks with melt
blown filters is "far higher" than it's ever
been.
"We've had conversations with hospitals and
medical unions that won't feel comfortable until
they've got stockpiles. And you've got many more
people feeling the need to comply with the CDC
advice to wear
a face mask in public. And they say,
'If I'm going to wear a face mask, I want the
best damn face mask money can buy'," Rousse said
That demand can draw away from other uses for
melt blown material, including some safety and
medical products, according to Brad Kalil,
INDA's Director of Market Intelligence and
Economic Insights.
"Prior to the outbreak, only about a third of
the melt blown production was actually going to
filtration," Kalil said. "Some of it goes to
wipes, some of it to sorbents, which are the
absorbent materials for oil booms or shop floors
that soak up water and oil. Some of it goes to
transportation in the acoustic material of a
car, and some of it goes to medical surgical
wound care."
But the industry has changed as rapidly as
American society in the past few weeks. Many in
the melt blown industry are among those
considered essential and cleared to report to
work each day. An engineer for SWM who asked not
to be named said, "It's been a grind, and the
grind is not pretty," but said he and his team
realize they're playing a role in a larger
struggle.
"These are uncertain times. We know this is a
priority product, and there's pride in that,"
the engineer said.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/n95-mask-shortage-melt-blown-filters/
Masks Have Been Fashionable for Centuries
A
New York Times article covers the history of
face masks and leads to the conclusion that they
again could become an accepted way of life.
According to “History
of Surgical Face Masks: The myths, the masks,
and the men and women behind them,”
by John L. Spooner, face masks first appeared at
the very end of 19th century, used as a
protective measure worn by doctors during
surgery to prevent airborne bacteria from
entering an open wound.
They were then adopted in 1910 by the Chinese
authorities to prevent the spread of pneumonic
plague and, Mr. Lynteris said, became
“emblematic of medical modernity. They had a
double function — both to stop germs and to
transform people into scientifically minded
citizens.”
Eight years later, they became a global
phenomenon, when they were widely adopted as
protection against the Spanish flu.
They have represented safety and protection from
disease and pollution; solidarity; protest;
racism; a fashion trend; and now, pandemic. They
have been, said Christos
Lynteris, a medical anthropologist at the
University of St. Andrews in Scotland, a sign of
“something that hides but also communicates.” It
is, he said, “an interesting dialectic, and one
very dependent on context.”
You can see masks in drawings of fashionably
dressed people with masks,” Mr. Lynteris said.
“There was a popular acceptance of the mask as
part of life.” Though use of the masks receded
afterward World War I, they remained popular in
China, where masks symbolized care for the
community and civic awareness, “even in
Communist public health campaigns,” Mr. Lynteris
said.
Then came the SARS epidemic, beginning in 2002,
and a mask resurgence, in China, Hong Kong and
across most of East Asia and Southeast Asia, as
well as in the public mind, as a sign of “heath
awareness and civic duty.” It is sheer
politeness to wear a mask to avoid sneezing on
your neighbor.
At the same time, as awareness of environmental
degradation, pollution and air quality has
become a growing topic of conversation, masks
took on a different role: as air filters in
urban centers and harbingers of the climate
crisis — not just in such cities as Mumbai,
Beijing, Tokyo and Mexico City, but also, more
recently, during the bush fires in Australia.
“There is a certain ‘Blade Runner’-y feeling of
embracing our fashionable dystopia that I
enjoyed,” one young Australian said in The
Guardian of why he had embraced the face
mask.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/style/face-mask-coronavirus.html
Nanofiber Membrane Mask Status in China
There was a good news story on March 10 that
analyzed the potential for nanofiber membrane
masks to replace melt blowns. It also provided
an update on Chinese melt blown production and
guesstimates about future pricing and supply.
Zhejiang Zhaohui Filtration Technology Co., Ltd.
(Zhaohui Filtration) claims to have successfully
developed new materials instead of melt blown
cloth.
The
thin and transparent white film nano coating
material can replace the melt blown cloth as the
mask raw materials. It is only 2-3 microns
thick, thinner than the cicada wing. Sun
Chenglei, director of Zhejiang Chaohui
Filtration Technology Co., Ltd., told
Securities Times.
The
traditional mask is made of melt blown non-woven
fabric, which is a kind of electrostatic effect
caused by the treatment of electret process to
intercept particles. However, with the change of
humidity brought by breathing in the process of
use, its filtration efficiency will decrease,
and it needs to be replaced every four hours.
This new material is a kind of PTFE nano
membrane filtration material. It intercepts the
particles by physical action. The intercepting
of 0.3 micron particles can reach more than 99%.
After simple high-temperature water treatment
and alcohol disinfection, it can be reused for
more than 10 times.
Sun
Chenglei said that for masks, whether they are
qualified depends on the efficiency of
interception and respiratory resistance. Among
them, the breathing resistance of disposable
protective mask and melt blown cloth is between
70-100 PA, while the minimum breathing
resistance of mask sample made of this membrane
material is only 10-20 PA, far better than the
standard requirements.
The
company has received
orders of more than 400,000 square meters and
delivered about 100,000 square meters to
customers.
Sun
Chenglei explained that in terms of price, the
ex-factory price of the company’s membrane
materials is the same as that of the melt blown
cloth, which is also 250000 yuan /ton. According
to the price of meltblown cloth before the
epidemic, the membrane material does not have a
price advantage. However, after the outbreak,
due to the obvious increase in the price of melt
blown cloth in the market, it is said that the
price in some areas has increased to 500000 yuan
/ton ~ 600000 yuan /ton, so in this case, the
application of film covered materials in the
field of masks also has commercial value.
In
terms of product performance, the mask made of
this material can be sterilized by simple high
temperature, cooking, alcohol spraying and
repeatedly used for more than 10 times.
According to Sun Chenglei, according to a
company with a scale of 100 people, at present,
there are two disposable masks on the market,
one for one worker every day, and the cost for
ten days is 2000 yuan. Even if the price of a
mask made of new materials is twice that of a
disposable mask, the cost of ten days is 400
yuan. Besides, the current price is the same as
that of melt blown cloth.
According to the test report issued by the
inspection agency for the mask sample of the
material, it was soaked
in 70
to103 hot water for 2 hours. After natural
drying, the efficiency retention rate is above
96%.
What is the probability of a daily production of
40000-60000 square meters?
The
company says, ‘If we can make 1.5 million masks
according to 60000 square meters, the new
material can realize 10 times of repeated use of
masks, equivalent to 15 million masks per day”.
At
present, the daily demand for masks in the whole
Zhejiang area is about 30 million. If customers
repeatedly use this material, it can still solve
the huge market demand. Sun Chenglei said that
the company is also further improving the
production capacity of this material, striving
to reach the goal of 120000 square meters/day as
soon as possible. At present, the production
capacity of pull film has reached 120000 square
meters, but the cutting process of composite
process still cannot keep up with it. Therefore,
the production line is still being corrected.
A Number of Chinese Companies Expanding Mask
Production
On
February 17, the KN95 respirator independently
developed by Zhonghao Chenguang hospital came
off the production line, marking the successful
application of the expanded
polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) microfiltration
membrane, It can
replace the melt blown cloth, withstand the
procedures of water washing and disinfection,
and be reused
On
March 9, the first batch of melt blown non-woven
fabrics of Yanshan Petrochemical, a subsidiary
of Sinopec, was officially sold. On this day, it
was only 15 days before Sinopec decided to build
10 melt blown cloth production lines. On
February 24, Sinopec decided to build 10 melt
blown cloth production lines, requiring Yanshan
Petrochemical and Sinomach Hengtian Group to
quickly cooperate to build a melt blown cloth
production plant and open the whole industrial
chain of mask production.
Sinopec decided to add 6 more production lines
in Yanshan Petrochemical and Yizheng Chemical
fiber to increase the production capacity of 12
tons / day based on the emergency launch of 10
melt blown cloth production lines (production
capacity of 18 tons / day) in the early stage.
It is expected that 30 t /day capacity will be
reached after all of them are put into operation
at the end of May.
PetroChina has also reached an agreement with
its partners to form a melt blown cloth
production capacity. On February 29th, the first
batch of melt blown cloth was transported to
Fushun Petrochemical after passing the
inspection. PetroChina plans to form four
production lines of Lanzhou Petrochemical and
Liaoyang Petrochemical, and cooperate with two
enterprises to form a certain capacity of melt
blown cloth.
The
melt blown polypropylene products for masks of
Guoen Co, Ltd. were put into production in the
middle of February 2020. As of March 9, the
company has 15 production lines of melt blown
polypropylene special materials in production,
with a daily output of 150 tons. At the same
time, the first production line of the five new
production lines purchased by Guoen Co., Ltd. in
the early stage will arrive at the factory on
March 17, and the installation and commissioning
are expected to be completed before March 20;
the second and third new production lines are
expected to be installed and commissioned from
March 23 to 25; the fourth and fifth production
lines are expected to be installed and
commissioned from March 28 to 30, and then the
company’s capacity will be fully realized.
Guangdong Saite, a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Shunwei Co., Ltd., plans to transform five
production lines for the production of PP
materials for melt blown cloth. As of March 10,
the first production line for PP materials for
melt blown cloth has been put into operation
with a maximum design capacity of 8 tons /day.
The second production line is planned to be put
into operation in the near future. If all five
production lines are transformed, the maximum
capacity is 40 tons/day.
Yanjiang company was not in the mask business.
After the outbreak, the company set up an
emergency project and decided to provide the
downstream mask manufacturers with melt blown
non-woven fabric through the transformation of
machinery and equipment. As of March 9, the
company has completed three melt blown non-woven
fabric production lines, realizing a daily
output of 6 tons of civil grade melt blown
non-woven fabric.
After the outbreak, two major production bases
of Donghua Energy worked overtime to produce
special materials y381h and s2040 for medical
non-woven fabrics, which were used to produce
inner and outer non-woven fabrics for masks. At
the same time, Donghua Energy R & D center
completed the research and development of
polypropylene melt blown material y1500h in a
week. At present, Donghua Energy has delivered
y1500h to downstream plants for trial use.
In
addition to the above enterprises, a number of
enterprises have just announced the expansion
plan of melt blown cloth. According to
incomplete statistics from the reporter of
securities times u00b7 e company, since March,
listed companies such as baibulong, Shouhang hi
tech, Xinye textile, Xingyuan material and * ST
Nantang have successively joined the lineup of
melt blown fabric expansion.
For
example, Shouhang high tech announced on March
10 that the board of directors decided to set up
Shouhang high tech nano materials (Tianjin)
Technology Co., Ltd. in Tianjin with its own
capital of 20 million yuan to produce meltblown
cloth and other related products. At present,
the purchase of relevant production lines and
personnel allocation are speeding up. Xinye
textile announced on March 3 that the company
will invest and construct in Xinye County
textile industry cluster area High grade
spinning fusing composite nonwovens project.
With a total investment of 120 million yuan and
a construction period of 6 months, the project
is expected to produce 25000 tons of high-grade
spinning fusing composite nonwovens annually.
N95 Medical Mask Production in China is 1.7
million /day but Capacity is 25% Higher
According to the announcement of the national
development and Reform Commission, on February
29, the daily production capacity/output of
masks in China reached 110 million /116 million
respectively, 5.2 times and 12 times of that on
February 1, further easing the gap between
supply and demand of masks. Among them, the
daily production capacity/output of medical N95
masks reached 1.96 million /1.66 million
respectively.
There are various signs that the growth of this
supply-demand gap is gradually decreasing and
the gap between supply and demand is easing.
The
reporter of securities times u00b7 e company
learned from the mask enterprises in Zhejiang
and Guangdong that the price of melt blown cloth
in some areas has risen from 10000-20000 yuan /
ton before the epidemic to 500000-600000 yuan /
ton. Although it still remains at a high level,
it is often with or without price. Take Zhejiang
as an example. The March 11 transaction price
was 350000 yuan / ton, and it was more than
400000 yuan a few days earlier. The decline is
still obvious.
“Today, the price of the mask machine with a
daily output of 100000 pieces is 1.5 million
yuan / set; the price of the mask machine
delivered one week later is 1 million yuan; the
price of the mask machine delivered one month
later is 500000 yuan. March 11, the head of a
mask company told reporters.
At
the same time, on March 10, the official website
of the State Administration of Market
Supervision issued a document saying that the
State Administration of market supervision
attached great importance to the illegal
behavior of bid up the price of melt blown
cloth, jointly with the Ministry of public
security to investigate and deal with the
illegal behavior of disturbing the market price
order of melt blown cloth, and resolutely cut
off the illegal chain of bid up the price of
melt blown cloth.
Chinese Mask Producers Targeting Overseas Market
With the obvious improvement of the domestic
epidemic prevention and control, the market will
be looking overseas. Cao Xuejun, deputy director
of the Department of consumer goods industry of
the Ministry of industry and information
technology, said at the recent conference of the
joint defense and joint control mechanism of the
State Council that at present, the epidemic has
occurred in many countries around the world, and
the protective clothing is in short supply.
China is a big protective clothing production
country. Domestic protective clothing
manufacturers are encouraged to actively meet
foreign demands and standardize production and
export according to corresponding standards.
At
the same time, the mask machinery market is
cooling down. Among suppliers , Xinye textile,
souyute, dawn shares, water shares, Nanjing
Julong and other shares fell sharply. In
addition, the same is true for other suppliers
of production
of masks, gloves and other protective equipment
. Ogilvy medical, British medical, blue sail
medical and other stocks have withdrawn
substantially.
There is no doubt that there will be a surplus
in the mask industry chain, or that there are
signs of such surplus. After the outbreak, the
fierce competition in the industry can be
imagined. In the face of rapid expansion of the
industrial chain, a mask listed company
