Size Dependent Particle Removal Efficiency and Pressure Drop of a Dust Cleaning Material For Use as Facemask Filters for Protection during COVID-19

COVID-19 pandemic has caused a severe demand for facemasks, and this has resulted in the use of those made from alternate media. As SARS-CoV-2 spreads primarily due to airborne droplets, it is critical to verify the filtration efficiency of these alternate media based facemasks. While several media are being tested and used, commercially available dust cleaners have shown reasonable filtration efficiency. This may also be due to the potential electrostatic charge on the surface which enhances capture of the fine particles. In this manuscript, we report the size dependent filtration efficiency studied systematically in a filter holder-based system as 47 mm punches; and test results on a mannequin that was 3D printed wearing a bandana mask that was placed in a chamber.