The 21st Shanghai International Nonwovens Exhibition(SINCE)

Ahlstrom-Munksjö, a global leader in fiber-based materials, announces the launch of Ahlstrom-Munksjö PureArmor, a breathable impervious fabric for blood borne pathogen and cleanroom apparel protection. “PureArmor eliminates the need to choose between comfort and protection. It offers the highest possible level of protection for sensitive environments without sacrificing the wearer’s comfort, which is unique when compared to fabrics frequently used in cleanroom apparel,” says Lionel Bonte, vice president, Medical, Ahlstrom-Munksjö. The new PureArmor fabric is a next generation tri-laminate nonwoven that has extremely low lint, making it suitable for applications that are sensitive to particle contamination. By leveraging patent pending Ahlstrom-Munksjö technology, the company’s product development engineers achieved PureArmor’s extremely low levels of lint. The patent pending manufacturing process welds bicomponent spunbond fibers together which makes the fabric less prone to shedding without sacrificing softness. The barrier film layer at the center of the tri-laminate fabric is a membrane which has a nonporous monolithic structure that provides an impervious barrier, thus blocking the passage of viruses, bacteria, fluids and particles. The structure of the film allows moisture vapor to pass through, allowing the wearer to remain comfortable while providing the highest level of protection. Most nonwoven fabrics available for cleanroom applications have particle filtration efficiency between 94 – 98% meaning that the fabric allows hundreds of thousands of particles to be released into the cleanroom environment in addition to potential blood borne pathogens. PureArmor’s monolithic film design stops 100% of the particles and potential blood borne pathogens. “PureArmor is an example of how Ahlstrom-Munksjo is leveraging our experience in manufacturing high protection surgical fabrics into products for other sensitive environments that require high levels of protection,” comments Jason Beard, platform leader, High Performance Medical, Ahlstrom-Munksjö. Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s diverse product portfolio of fabrics within the medical segment also includes fabrics for use in many types of protective apparel, surgical drapes, gowns and sterile barrier systems meeting demanding performance needs.