“PureArmor eliminates the need to choose between comfort and protection. It offers the highest possible level of protection for sensitive environments without sacrificing the wearer's comfort, which is unique when compared to fabrics frequently used in cleanroom apparel,” said Lionel Bonte, Vice President, Medical, Ahlstrom-Munksjö.

Tri-laminate nonwoven

The new PureArmor fabric is a next generation tri-laminate nonwoven that has extremely low lint, making it suitable for applications that are sensitive to particle contamination. “By leveraging patent pending Ahlstrom-Munksjö technology, our product development engineers achieved PureArmor’s extremely low levels of lint. The patent pending manufacturing process welds bicomponent spunbond fibres together which makes the fabric less prone to shedding without sacrificing softness,” the company explains.

The barrier film layer at the centre of the tri-laminate fabric is a membrane, which has a nonporous monolithic structure that provides an impervious barrier, thus blocking the passage of viruses, bacteria, fluids and particles. The structure of the film is said to allow moisture vapor to pass through, allowing the wearer to remain comfortable while providing the highest level of protection.

Monolithic film design

Most nonwoven fabrics available for cleanroom applications have particle filtration efficiency between 94 – 98% meaning that the fabric is allows hundreds of thousands of particles to be released into the cleanroom environment in addition to potential blood borne pathogens.  PureArmor’s monolithic film design is said to stop 100% of the particles and potential blood borne pathogens, according to the manufacturer.

“PureArmor is an example of how Ahlstrom-Munksjo is leveraging our experience in manufacturing high protection surgical fabrics into products for other sensitive environments that require high levels of protection,” commented Jason Beard, platform leader, High Performance Medical, Ahlstrom-Munksjö.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s product portfolio of fabrics within the medical segment also includes fabrics for use in many types of protective apparel, surgical drapes, gowns and sterile barrier systems meeting demanding performance needs.

www.ahlstrom-munksjo.com