Nanotechnology is changing the future of PPE and environmental protection.

At the forefront of this technology is 4C Air; a startup out of Silicon Valley founded by two Stanford University professors.

Professor Yi Cui; a world-leading expert in materials science, energy, and environmental technology.  And Professor Steven Chu; a Nobel Prize winner and former US Secretary of Energy (2009-2013). Together, they have developed a patented nanotechnology material that’s poised to disrupt the mask and filtration industry.

The material produced is compromised of microscopic “nanofibers” which are layered to create a surface that can be used to filter extremely small particles PM2.5 and below. 

The implications for this new technology are massive since the nanomedia can be used in near-limitless filtration applications. 

The big benefit to this emerging tech is the extremely high filtration efficiency it achieves while allowing air the move through it-A feat that is difficult for current filtration technology to achieve because of the thickness and the type of material used.  

Why is this game-changing for face masks and respirators? 

Because it solves some of the biggest problems associated with wearing a mask.

What are the biggest problems with face masks and respirators?

There’s a balancing act that mask wearers have faced for years.  The challenge with current mask options for both the average person and healthcare professionals is a balancing between high-filtration and comfort or breathability.

The main purpose of wearing a face mask is simple: provide protection against “things” in the air and sadly, the average cloth mask a person wears, while comfortable, does very little to actually filter airborne hazards.

On the opposite hand, those who wear high effectively filtering face pieces such as N95 respirators often have to deal with several uncomfortable side effects including: 

• Restriction to breathing
• Dermatitis due to lack of airflow on area worn
• Difficulties understanding speech. 

These are just a few. Masks that are very breathable and comfortable are most likely to have poor filtration. 

Increasing filtration efficacy is usually done by increasing the amount of filtration material which makes the mask more dense causing the issues mentioned above.

4C Air is hoping to change this and has created a new type of face mask using nanotechnology that bridges the gap between high levels of filtration and comfort. 

To really appreciated how this new technology will benefit mask wearers, it’s best to look at the pros and cons for different types of masks that are available today.

The Pros and Cons of different mask and respirator categories.

There are several categories of masks available to both healthcare professionals and individuals. Let’s take a look at the different types and how their filtration and breathability and comfort compare.