Manufacturing paper-derived personal protective equipment (PPE) in the fight against COVID-19: meeting the challenge of adjusting industrial production

Google translate: The scale of the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent collapse of the global supply chain has resulted in a severe global shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers. In response to this problem, many groups across Canada are seeking to develop new solutions to ensure local supply. The filters that make up single-use surgical and procedure masks, as well as a wide variety of health products, are generally made of fibers produced from synthetic polymers, natural cellulosic cotton fibers, or rayon fibers, the latter made from regenerated cellulose from natural sources such as wood and agricultural products. Replacing synthetic fibers with wood cellulose pulps in the manufacture of protective products is possible, but industries face many challenges, especially in terms of product design and engineering. The objectives of the project are to define the opportunities and needs of the pulp and paper industry for the manufacture of PPE and other paper-derived products in the fight against COVID-19; identify production and engineering challenges; and to propose industrial solutions linked to the manufacturing process. The expected results will, from a scientific point of view, (1) contribute to the advancement of science and engineering concerning the use of materials from renewable lignocellulosic sources in order to obtain sustainable and renewable products local fiber supply; and (2) from a practical point of view, to contribute to the development and/or improvement of paper products or derivatives that can be used in the manufacture of PPE as well as hygiene and packaging products used in the hospital environment and for the general population. Taken as a whole, the project will accelerate the process of adapting our industrial partner's manufacturing processes in response to the urgent needs generated by the pandemic on a Canadian and international scale.]