Iran Manufactures Electrospinning Machine to Produce N95 Masks

An Iranian knowledge-based company succeeded in manufacturing an indigenous electrospinning machine which can be used to produce N95 and N99 masks to prevent coronavirus epidemic.

“At present, we manufacture electrospinning machines which can produce N95 by covering the ordinary fabric with 30% to 40% efficiency with a layer of nanofiber and turning it into the N95 and N99 filter media,” Nader Naderi, the CEO of the knowledge-based company told FNA on Sunday.

He added that a group of the masks produced via this method are based on the European standards, noting that the N95 and N99 masks are manufactured based on the US standards which can be used by the medical staff to prevent infection to coronavirus.

In a relevant development earlier this month, another knowledge-based company in Isfahan, Central Iran, produced super activated carbon to be used as filter in the masks which prevent coronavirus epidemic.

“Our product is actually super activated carbon which is considered as superabsorbents. The activated carbon can be used in respiratory masks,” CEO of the company Roya Khosravi said.

She added that the activated carbon can be placed inside the outside layer of masks to filter the virus and block its way into the mouth and respiratory system.

Khosravi said that her company has produced the laboratorial sample of the activated carbon and is now in the prototyping stage.

Early in April, Head of Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council (INIC) Saeed Sarkar had said that the country’s knowledge-based companies have bolstered their capacity to produce N95 masks (made by nano-based textiles) to 250,000 on a daily basis.

“The capacity to produce masks in Iran has four-folded since the start of coronavirus epidemic and more measures are underway to increase it,” Sarkar said.

He noted that the Iranian knowledge-based companies have managed to produce 20,000 N95 masks on the first days of the coronavirus epidemic, adding, “The number has today increased to 250,000 masks.”

Sarkar said that his country has now no problem in supplying the medical staff with N95 masks, saying that more efforts are needed to provide such equipment to the people who work in crowded areas, including banks, subways, etc.