The Technology Behind
Making Buildings Healthy
We Developed Healthy Air Technology That No One Else Could
The New Standard In Healthy Air
Engineered From Success
First Tyvek® To Protect Buildings
The core technology behind Verdex VerdexAir® was developed 11 years ago by our founder and Chief Scientist Dr Larry Marshall, PhD, a retired DuPont Research Fellow. Dr. Marshall was the principal inventor and developer of DuPont’s world-famous Tyvek® material.
Now VerdexAir® To Protect People
Dr. Marshall first invented a revolutionary technology in Tyvek® that revolutionized the way buildings breathe during the construction process. Not content with his legendary legacy tied to keeping buildings healthy, he took what he learned from inventing Tyvek®, and transferred his knowledge to developing The Verdex Process®, the technology behind VerdexAir®. Dr. Marshalls Verdex Process® has revolutionized the HVAC market. For the first time ever, people can feel safe within any indoor space with VerdexAir® technology.
Dr. Larry Marshall
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The Technical Challenge
The current pandemic has focused attention on the critical need to improve indoor air quality standards and mitigate risks from airborne virus infections in buildings. Existing HVAC filtration technology was never designed to remove submicron airborne particles. While HEPA filters have successfully been installed in cleanroom environments to efficiently remove fine particles, its extreme energy demands and low air permeability make it unsuitable for use in residential settings, large commercial and public buildings.
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There was therefore a need for new filtration technology which combines high collection and high energy efficiency. Polymeric nanofibers have shown promise as new materials for use in air filtration, but existing production methods such as electrospun nanofiber membranes are not suitable for use in traditional HVAC systems because of their poor air permeability requirements.
The Technical Solution
Verdex Technologies has developed and patented a highly scalable and green nanofiber manufacturing process called “melt-film fibrillation” to produce advanced filtration materials. The process can produce materials with fibers as small as 200 nm and submicron pore sizes.
Unlike electrospinning it is entirely solvent free and produces 3D fibers and a lofty material with extremely high porosity (> 95%). Virtually any type of thermoplastic polymer can be fibrillated including biodegradable polymers. A unique characteristic of the material is the roping structure where fibers get entangled providing high mechanical strength to the finished material.
This material offers high tortuosity and air permeability and is capable of both depth and surface filtration, offering higher dust holding capacity than either glass or ePTFE membrane media.
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Fibrillated nanofiber media also has unique chemical and physical properties that gives it desirable characteristics for air filtration applications, offering a lower air resistance than conventional HEPA microglass or ePTFA membranes.
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It can also easily be functionalized for targeted removal of various contaminants such as viruses or other pathogens. Unlike microglass filters and ePTFE membranes, fibrillated nanofiber media can be used as “drop-in” replacement filters in existing HVAC systems designed for MERV 13 to MERV 16 filters.
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The 3D materials combine the low pressure drop and depth filtration of conventional glass microfiber media with the high particulate efficiency of electrospun membranes.
A major advantage of the media is the ability to be retrofitted in existing building HVAC systems.
The Science
The key to the attributes of any air filter is as follows:
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1) Air flow to assure adequate ventilation
2) Efficiency to filter out a range of small particle sizes, and
3) Capacity to allow for reasonable and cost-effective maintenance schedules without adversely affecting airflow and efficiency.
Until now, no filtration system has been capable of meeting all three simultaneously.
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The most important characteristic of a filter medium is collection efficiency, which is the fraction of particles trapped by a filter over the total number of particles found in the air upstream of the filter.
The Verdex nanofiber materials within VerdexAir® combine the benefits of depth and surface filtration. The small pore size prevent larger particles (PM 2.5) from penetrating the media while finer particles (PM 0.1 to PM 2.5) are collected inside the media. This makes the filter optimal for indoor air quality control where airborne fine particles are dominant and most pathogenic.
Patented First In Class Filtration
Verdex has been granted a patent for its novel Two Phase® nanofiber fabrication method capable of producing a wide range of polymeric non-woven materials using a solvent-free, high throughput process. US8668854.
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Verdex has also been granted a patent for a unique Coform® process whereby nanofibers can be impregnated with nanoparticles providing unique functionalities such as super-absorbency of liquids, anti-bacterial properties, electrical or heat conductivity or resistance to chemicals. US8808594.
Additionally, Verdex has several patents pending and will be filing further related patents in the coming months.
Customized VerdexAir® Solutions
Sometimes, achieving truly healthy air calls for highly customized engineering solutions. VerdexAir® is ready to help.
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Our multidisciplinary team of engineers excels at providing customized solutions, with decades of experience in providing solutions to some of the toughest air quality challenges.