To study the nanofiber enhanced composite respiratory masks for higher filtration performance and reusability

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical need for adequate respiratory protection, leading to a surge in non-powered air-purifying respirators (N-PAPRs). It is even relevant for future requirements as, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the pandemic is not yet all over. This paper investigates the development and optimization of composite N95 respirators by incorporating nanofibrous membranes made from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and polyvinyldifluoride (PVDF) using the electrospinning technique. The study assesses the impact of areal densities (g/m 2 ) on penetration performance under three different levels of face velocities based on realistic situations. Our findings indicate that despite having a finer diameter and higher surface area of the PVDF nanomembrane, the respirator incorporated with PAN nanofibrous membrane exhibits higher filtration% (ŋ = 96.5% at 0.6 g/m 2 and 9 cm/s). It was also found that when the areal density increases, the difference in penetration between PAN and PVDF composites gets marginalized. In contrast, the initial pressure drop was significantly similar in both polymer composites, but as the areal density increases, the pressure drop increases notably. Moreover, an innovative self-decontamination method was introduced utilizing graphene oxide (GO), which leverages light-responsive properties to achieve antibacterial effects through reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and localized heating. This dual functionality extends the respirators’ usability while maintaining safety and efficacy. The findings suggest that optimizing the areal density of nanofibrous membranes can significantly enhance respirator performance, addressing the high filtration efficiency, low pressure drop and enhancing the span life of the respirator masks (N95).