CURVED NANOFIBER PRODUCTS AND APPLICATIONS THEREOF
A filtration device including a contoured support having 1) an interior surface, 2) an outside peripheral surface spaced farther from a center of the contoured support than the interior surface, and 3) a rim enclosed and sealed to a perimeter of the contoured support. The filtration device includes macroscopic openings in the contoured support extending from the interior surface to the outside peripheral surface, and a plurality of nanofibers having diameters less than 1 micron. The nanofibers are disposed on the outside peripheral surface of the contoured support, and cover the macroscopic openings to form a filtration medium on the contoured support.
1 . A filtration device comprising:
a contoured support having 1) an interior surface, 2) an outside peripheral surface spaced farther from a center of the contoured support than the interior surface, and 3) a rim enclosed and sealed to a perimeter of the contoured support;
macroscopic openings in the contoured support extending from the interior surface to the outside peripheral surface; and
a plurality of nanofibers having diameters less than 1 micron, disposed on the outside peripheral surface of the contoured support, and covering the macroscopic openings to form a filtration medium on the contoured support.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the contoured support comprises a wire mesh support.
3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the rim comprises a polymeric member which forms a seal for attachment of the contoured support to an object.
4 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the seal is attached to at least one of a human face, an air intake to a combustion engine, a filter assembly in air conditioning and heating assembly, and a respirator mask assembly.
5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the filtration medium contoured support is configured to fit into a shell of a respirator.
6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the contoured support has a radius of curvature between 1 and 500 cm.
7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the contoured support has a radius of curvature between 2 and 100 cm.
8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the contoured support has a radius of curvature between 5 and 50 cm.
9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the contoured support comprises:
at least one of a filter, a plastic foam, a metallic foam, a semi-conductive foam, a woven material, a nonwoven material, and a plastic screen,
10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the contoured support has at least one of a conical shape, a spherical shape, and a cylindrical shape, and combinations thereof.
11 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a rim secured to the countered support at a base of the contoured support.
12 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the nanofibers are integrally attached to the contoured support.
13 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the nanofibers are integrally attached one to another at points along respective ones of the nanofibers.
14 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the nanofibers are integrally attached to the rim.
15 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the nanofibers have an average fiber diameter of less than 500 nm.
16 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the nanofibers have an average fiber diameter of less than 200 nm.
17 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the nanofibers have an average fiber diameter of less than 100 nm.
18 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanofibers comprises between 4 to 4000 layers of the nanofibers.
19 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanofibers comprises between 10 to 100 layers of the nanofibers.
20 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanofibers comprises between comprise a thickness between 0.25 and 500 :m.
21 . The device of claim 1 , wherein said filtration medium has a figure of merit between 20 kPa −1 and 40 kPa −1 .
22 . The device of claim 1 , wherein said filtration medium has a figure of merit between 40 kPa −1 and 60 kPa −1 .
23 . The device of claim 1 , wherein said filtration medium has a figure of merit between 60 kPa −1 and 70 kPa −1 .
24 . The device of claim 1 , wherein said filtration medium has a figure of merit between 70 kPa −1 and 80 kPa −1 .
25 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the outside peripheral surface has the same number of layers over 90-99% of the entire surface area of the outside peripheral surface.
26 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the outside peripheral surface has the same number of layers over 95-99% of the entire surface area of the outside peripheral surface.
27 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the outside peripheral surface has substantially the same number of layers the entire surface area of the outside peripheral surface.
28 . A respirator comprising:
a filtration medium;
a housing holding the filtration medium;
a seal securing the filtration medium to the housing; and
said filtration medium having,
a contoured support having 1) an interior surface, 2) an outside peripheral surface spaced farther from a center of the contoured support than the interior surface, and 3) a rim enclosed and sealed to a perimeter of the contoured support,
macroscopic openings in the contoured support extending from the interior surface to the outside peripheral surface, and
a plurality of nanofibers having diameters less than 1 micron, disposed on the outside peripheral surface of the contoured support, and covering the macroscopic openings on the contoured support.