Curved nanofiber products and applications thereof

Abstract

A filtration device including a contoured support having 1) an interior surface, 2) an outside peripheral surface spaced farther from a center of the contoured support than the interior surface, and 3) a rim enclosed and sealed to a perimeter of the contoured support. The filtration device includes macroscopic openings in the contoured support extending from the interior surface to the outside peripheral surface, and a plurality of nanofibers having diameters less than 1 micron. The nanofibers are disposed on the outside peripheral surface of the contoured support, and cover the macroscopic openings to form a filtration medium on the contoured support.

1 . A filtration device comprising:
 a contoured support having 1) an interior surface, 2) an outside peripheral surface spaced farther from a center of the contoured support than the interior surface, and 3) a rim enclosed and sealed to a perimeter of the contoured support;   macroscopic openings in the contoured support extending from the interior surface to the outside peripheral surface; and   a plurality of nanofibers having diameters less than 1 micron, disposed on the outside peripheral surface of the contoured support, and covering the macroscopic openings to form a filtration medium on the contoured support.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the contoured support comprises a wire mesh support. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the rim comprises a polymeric member which forms a seal for attachment of the contoured support to an object. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the seal is attached to at least one of a human face, an air intake to a combustion engine, a filter assembly in air conditioning and heating assembly, and a respirator mask assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the filtration medium contoured support is configured to fit into a shell of a respirator. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the contoured support has a radius of curvature between 1 and 500 cm. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the contoured support has a radius of curvature between 2 and 100 cm. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the contoured support has a radius of curvature between 5 and 50 cm. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the contoured support comprises:
 at least one of a filter, a plastic foam, a metallic foam, a semi-conductive foam, a woven material, a nonwoven material, and a plastic screen,   
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the contoured support has at least one of a conical shape, a spherical shape, and a cylindrical shape, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a rim secured to the countered support at a base of the contoured support. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the nanofibers are integrally attached to the contoured support. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the nanofibers are integrally attached one to another at points along respective ones of the nanofibers. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the nanofibers are integrally attached to the rim. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the nanofibers have an average fiber diameter of less than 500 nm. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the nanofibers have an average fiber diameter of less than 200 nm. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the nanofibers have an average fiber diameter of less than 100 nm. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanofibers comprises between 4 to 4000 layers of the nanofibers. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanofibers comprises between 10 to 100 layers of the nanofibers. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanofibers comprises between comprise a thickness between 0.25 and 500 :m. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said filtration medium has a figure of merit between 20 kPa −1  and 40 kPa −1 . 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said filtration medium has a figure of merit between 40 kPa −1  and 60 kPa −1 . 
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said filtration medium has a figure of merit between 60 kPa −1  and 70 kPa −1 . 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said filtration medium has a figure of merit between 70 kPa −1  and 80 kPa −1 . 
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the outside peripheral surface has the same number of layers over 90-99% of the entire surface area of the outside peripheral surface. 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the outside peripheral surface has the same number of layers over 95-99% of the entire surface area of the outside peripheral surface. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the outside peripheral surface has substantially the same number of layers the entire surface area of the outside peripheral surface. 
     
     
         28 . A respirator comprising:
 a filtration medium;   a housing holding the filtration medium;   a seal securing the filtration medium to the housing; and   said filtration medium having,
 a contoured support having 1) an interior surface, 2) an outside peripheral surface spaced farther from a center of the contoured support than the interior surface, and 3) a rim enclosed and sealed to a perimeter of the contoured support, 
 macroscopic openings in the contoured support extending from the interior surface to the outside peripheral surface, and 
 a plurality of nanofibers having diameters less than 1 micron, disposed on the outside peripheral surface of the contoured support, and covering the macroscopic openings on the contoured support.