Nanofibers in Filtration
July 2, 2024, Tuesday
8:00am-10:00am, ET Canada & US
$USD 350
$USD 175 (Member Only)
Course Objective
Nanofibers have rapidly grown in the global filtration market for advanced filter product design in air and liquid applications, such as engine intake, gas turbines, industrial dust removal, HVAC, fuel filtration, personal protection, etc. In this course, we will review the principles of why nanofibers can be so effective in enhancing filtration performance and the methods used in the industry to produce various nanofibers; then, we will discuss how to structure the nanofibers in your filter media and desing your nanofiber filter products. The panel experts will discuss future IP moving forward, new developments, opportunities, and trends of nanofiber filtration market.
Course Outline
1. Introduction and Review
What are nanofibers
Why nanofibers
Nanofiber applications in filtration
2. Methods to produce nanofibers
Electrospinning
Meltblowing
Forcespinning
Electroblown
Fiber splitting
Shear spinning
Solution blowing
Fibrillation
2. Nanofiber Filter Media Structure
On the top
Mixed blend
Sandwiched
Laminated
Gradient depth structure
Nanofiber/particle composite
Stand-alone
3. Design Different Nanofiber Filters
Industrial dust removal
Applications in transportation
Gas turbine air intake
New nanofiber facemasks for PPE
Others
4. New Developments, Opportunities, and Trends (Panel discussion)
Future IP going forward (Bian Babcock)
Challenges, Opportunities & Trends (Andrew Wills)
Nanofibers for Air & Liquid Filtration (Cedric Vallet)
New Developments, Opportunities, and, Trends (Ashley Scott)
Panel discussion and Q&A (all panel)
Instructor Biography
Dr. Christine Sun
Instructor
Dr. Christine Sun, President of the Waterloo Filtration Institute, is a globally renowned technical and market expert in the filtration and nonwovens industry. With over 30 years of experience in academia and industry, she has in-depth knowledge of filtration and extensive hands-on expertise in product and business development, evidenced by her contribution of over 100 technical publications and patents in the field. She is also actively involved in the development of many air and liquid filter test standards, such as ASHRAE and ISO. Dr. Sun worked for Freudenberg Filtration Technologies from 2004 to 2011 as an R&D manager and then served as Technology Director for Donaldson Company from 2011 to 2013. She was the Chair of the American Filtration and Separation Society (AFS) from 2016 to 2017 and has received the AFS Fellow Award in 2019, the Sr. Scientist Award in 2012, and the best paper awards from INDA (Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry) in 2008. She is also an editorial board member for the Textile Research Journal and the Journal of Industrial Textiles. Dr. Sun received her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, and her Executive Certificate from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, USA.
Dr. Bryan D. Haynes
Panelist
Dr. Bryan Haynes, Senior Technical Director of Global Nonwovens at Kimberly-Clark Corporation, is a well-recognized expert and leader with over 39 years of experience in the global nonwovens and filtration industry. He currently has 44 U.S. Patents, 163 Foreign Patents, 16 Trade Secrets, and over 240 Invention Disclosures, He has established a strong track record of transforming ideas into commercial reality and is highly creative with a passion for making connections to solve problems to drive innovation for customers. Dr. Haynes is a recipient of the INDA Lifetime Technical Achievement Award, Society of Women Engineers Rodney D. Chipp Memorial Award, and the Kimberly-Clark Technical Excellence Award. He is a member of several boards, including INDA Board of Directors (current Chair), Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology; Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Georgia; and the Nonwovens Institute at N.C. State University. He also serves on the Board of Directors as Secretary for Georgia FIRST (a non-profit organization that supports STEM programs in Georgia). Dr. Haynes received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, and B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA.
Dr. Andrew Willis
Panelist
Dr. Andrew Wills, Director, Global Product Management at Hollingsworth & Vose, currently works at their corporate headquarters in East Walpole, MA. He has had two spells with the company, the first from 1996-2001 at their wet-laid facility in Winchcombe, England as an R&D Engineer working on glass wet-laid products. He then finished scratching an academic itch from 2001 until 2012, completing a Mathematics degree with the Open University and an Engineering Doctorate in Radar Signal Processing with University College London whilst working for the defense firm QinetiQ. Andrew rejoined H&V in England in 2012 in the Technology team, and since then has held posts as Scientist, Manager and Director of Technology, which led to a move to the USA in 2015. A move to China in 2019 leading H&V’s Suzhou Technology team was sadly cut short after one year due to COVID travel restrictions, and since 2021 he has been the Global Product Manager for H&V’s NanoWeb range of products containing synthetic nanofibers.
Panelists
Dr. Ashley S. Scott is a pioneering figure in nanotechnology, holding a B.S. in Chemistry from The College of Charleston and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Texas at Dallas. With innovative vision and exceptional expertise, Dr. Scott founded NanoStatics, which he later sold to further advancements in nanotechnology. He became the founding CEO and Managing Partner of NanoMeld, LLC, a leading company specializing in nanofiber coatings and solutions across diverse industries. His groundbreaking work has significantly advanced applications in filtration, paper, pulp and packaging, and pharmaceuticals, contributing to improved product efficiency and environmental sustainability. Dr. Scott is a dedicated family man, sharing his life with his wife, Dr. Bertrina Scott, a Ph.D. in Psychology, and their three daughters. His commitment to family, community, and his field exemplifies a balanced pursuit of excellence and personal fulfillment, inspiring others around him to strive for greatness in both personal and professional lives.
Dr. Gajanan Bhat is a Georgia Athletic Association Professor of Fibers and Textiles and the Head of the Department of Textiles, Merchandising, and Interiors at the University of Georgia, Athens. After earning his Ph.D. in textile and polymer engineering from Georgia Tech, Dr. Bhat joined the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) in 1990, focusing on nonwovens, plastics recycling, nanotechnology, sustainable materials, and high-performance fibers. As the director of UTNRL, he successfully produced nanofibers from thermoplastic polymers by meltblowing. In 2016, he joined UGA as the Head of the Textiles, Merchandising, and Interiors department. Dr. Bhat has published over 200 research papers, holds three US patents, and has made more than 250 national or international presentations. He has served as president of the Fiber Society and is an active member of INDA, TAPPI, and the Textile Institute. His awards include the Outstanding Young Engineering Alumni by Georgia Tech, Distinguished Achievement Award from the Fiber Society, Fellow of the Textile Institute, TechniTex India Research Achievement Award, and TAPPI NET Division Technical Achievement Award.
Dr. Cédric Vallet is the Head of Product Management & Business Development – Filtration Division, at Ahlstrom (in France). He has 20 years of experience in Filtration; in R&D, then in Sales & Marketing. Expertise in filtration media manufacturing and various air & liquid applications. He led the Ahlstrom-Munksjö FiltEV® launch, a new platform of high-performance filtration materials for Electric Vehicles. He received his Ph.D. in 2006 from the University of Rennes (FR) and Engineering Master’s Degree in Chemistry, ENSCR, 2002.
Dr. Jayesh Doshi, Founder of eSpin Technologies, is a well-known leading expert in nanofiber research and production. He is the founder of Chattanooga, Tennessee-based eSpin Technologies. His nanofiber journey started in 1989 at the University of Akron, and over the past 30 years, he has been pursuing nanofiber technology development to commercialization. During his nanofiber journey, he has developed and scaled nanofiber production to convert media into products and technology demonstration. Dr. Doshi earned his doctoral degree in Polymer Sciences from the University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA.
Mr. Brian Babcock is an independent consultant specializing in intellectual property with a focus on polymers, materials, and coatings. He provides expertise in technology development and intellectual property analysis, patent filing, and IP strategies for companies developing new technologies in filtration, medical device materials, and other consumer and industrial textile products. He also serves as an expert witness and litigation consultant for issues related to polymer materials and coatings. He is a former Intellectual Property Manager for Donaldson Company where he was responsible for creating an in-house IP team for the company and developed comprehensive IP strategies for all of Donaldson’s business units. Since leaving Donaldson, he has set up intellectual property and innovation management processes for multiple companies, including SunEdison, Johnson & Johnson, and others. He has expertise in IP around nanofiber materials and processes, air and liquid filtration products, and woven and nonwoven materials for filtration, consumer, and industrial applications. He is a Certified Licensing Professional, a registered Patent Agent, and has BS and MS degrees in Chemical Engineering from Vanderbilt University.