Design of Air Filtration Mask with Humidity Control

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out to study a)the technology of bacterial and microbial filters through membrane and other means specifically used in the masks and b) to conduct research to find the problems on usage of masks and device mechanism to control humidity. It has been observed that several filtration devices are being used by humans for various applications like, protection from dust, allergens, bacteria, viruses, etc. Masks are made of materials like silk, plastic fibers, cotton and composite materials. N95 mask is found to be effective to control the entry of viruses into the human body through nasal canals. During the literature collection work for this study and structured survey conducted, it was found that no mechanism is available for controlling the moisture liberated from the lungs during exhalation. An innovative process is developed to use desiccant materials incorporated into the mask, which can absorb the moisture content within the mask. The mask is designed to handle 5 to 0.5 grams of moisture absorption within 6 minutes. This makes the need of having a standby mask. The mask can be re-charged with dryness within one hour at room temperature. However the mask can be dried for re-use by keeping the used mask in an oven at 65 °C for 5 minutes. Future work can be taken up to study in details about efficacy and human safety of humidity controlling mask. © 2024 IEEE.