During the past 12 months, as the globe has faced the challenges of a global pandemic, meltblown nonwovens have emerged as a crucial element in protecting against the Coronavirus. These materials comprise the key effective layer in N95 face masks and respirators and were found to be in extremely short supply at in early 2020 as the Coronavirus spread across the globe. This shortage won't last long, however, as dozens, if not hundreds of meltblown lines are slowly coming onstream across the globe to meet demand for face mask and respirator materials. "About one year ago, it became apparent that face masks and respirators were the best course of defense against the virus," says Ashish Diwanji, president of Lydall Performance Materials. "We heard from customers and associations that supply of these materials used in hospitals had stopped because China-where many of them were made-had prioritized the needs of their own country."
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