Abstract

This work describes the identification and characterization process of the constituent materials of commercial disposable air filters, used in artificial respirators and nebulizers in clinics and hospitals. The characterization of these materials served as input for a study carried out to determine the possibility of producing these medical devices in the country, due to the increase in patients with COVID-19, who required the use of artificial respirators and medical oxygen with nebulizers. Clinical air filters are made up of a transparent plastic casing that allows you to see the inside of the product, which contains two types of filter elements. In addition, on the filter housing there is a small opaque plastic cover that allows the entry of medications to nebulize the patient. The characterization of the materials was carried out by DSC, TGA, FTIR and SEM-EDX. The material from which the housing and the plastic filter element are made was identified, as polypropylene.