FINLAND (News release) -- Extia® Protect portfolio of face masks materials is created to protect people, delivering reliable filtration performance.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ahlstrom-Munksjö has expanded its offering and capacities of protective medical products, including face mask materials, to meet the strong demand globally. After having successfully developed innovative solutions for face mask applications globally, Ahlstrom-Munksjö is now officially launching its Extia® Protect product range, specifically designed for face mask applications.

The Extia® Protect portfolio consists of a full range of high-performance fiber-based solutions for face masks, including filtration layers, cover stocks, lace media and reinforcement layers. Each component of the range has been designed to meet specific requirements of the different type of masks, including respiratory masks, surgical masks, but also civil masks. The face mask offering is produced on an global industrial platform consisting of plants in Europe, North and South America and Asia, giving the company the required capacity to meet the regional demand.

"I am very proud of the work accomplished by our team. In only a few months, we have developed a full offering for face mask applications and are now in a position to serve the growing demand for face mask materials globally by utilizing the available capacity we have in industrial platforms across the globe", says Daniele Borlatto, EVP Filtration and Performance Solutions.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö has extensive and in-depth knowledge of fibers used in medical fabrics. For decades the company's Medical business has been making fabrics used to construct surgical gowns and drapes, pleated surgical face masks, protective apparel and sterile barrier systems. Launching the Extia® Protect portfolio allows Ahlstrom-Munksjö to offer customers a full range of technologies and has the ability to produce all layers for civil-, surgical- and respiratory masks. The company continues to explore all options to leverage its unique knowledge of fiber-based solutions to expand production.