Ahlstrom-Munksjö establishes a partnership with Spanish sports and life style accessories company Buff to provide filter media for face masks.

The Buff face masks are now available in the United States and Canada following a launch in Europe in June. Each Buff face mask includes five single-use filters in the original packaging. Replacement filters are sold separately in packs of 30 units.

The spread of Covid-19 and the consequent increase in the global demand for face mask components required many companies to rapidly adapt, leverage on their expertise and innovate. Thanks to Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s long-term experience in the manufacturing of filter media and protective medical fabrics, the company has developed a new material suitable for Type II face mask applications. Leveraging on its capabilities and adapting its converting and packaging processes, Ahlstrom-Munksjö has established a partnership with Buff to supply its innovative, replaceable filter media which is included in Buff’s new range of face masks.

“These are exceptional moments for everyone and many organizations are bringing their contribution to support communities in this unprecedented situation. We, as a company, are committed into taking another small step in this direction. We joined forces with Buff on an exciting journey with a shared goal: helping to keep people safe. The expertise both companies have in their respective fields led to the development of this innovative product,” says Laia Guarro, vice president at Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s Liquid Technologies business.

Tests conducted on these new single-use filters have shown a 98% bacterial filtration efficiency and meet EN14683:2019 Type I & II standards. The new Buff Filter Mask is lightweight, ergonomic and easily adjustable. Its features make it ideal to be worn also during sport and outdoor activities, protecting the user yet allowing a high level of comfort.