Thermobonded drylaid nonwoven media are widely used in HVAC air filtration due to their cost efficiency, robustness, and scalability. However, increasing demands for improved indoor air quality are pushing these media toward higher filtration efficiency classes, exposing inherent limitations of conventional fiber designs. In particular, achieving enhanced particle capture through mechanical filtration mechanisms often results in increased airflow resistance, challenging the applicability of thermobonded media in higher-efficiency segments.

This development investigates a fiber-level design approach aimed at expanding the mechanical filtration performance of thermobonded air filter media without altering established nonwoven production processes. Proprietary modified fibers solution was developed and evaluated in single-layer thermobonded nonwoven prototypes produced under controlled conditions. Filtration performance was assessed using ISO 16890 methodology, focusing on initial fractional efficiency for particle size ranges relevant to HVAC applications.

The results demonstrate a significant improvement in [...], compared to reference media produced with standard bicomponent fibers. As expected, the increased capture efficiency was accompanied by a moderate increase in pressure drop when benchmarked against simplified laboratory reference constructions. Additional validation including IPA conditioning, performed by a potential customer, confirmed that the enhanced filtration efficiency is largely retained after conditioning, with pressure drop values comparable to commercial thermobonded filter media.

The findings confirm that...