Bruce Tatarchuk, an AU professor of chemical engineering, and his research team developed the microfibrous materials to block carbon monoxide from fuel cells -- Tatarchuk's chief area of research. The team quickly realized, however, that because the material -- called MiniOx (miniaturized carbon monoxide oxidation technology) -- is more efficient, thinner and longer lasting than other materials used for filters, it could have applications beyond fuel cells.

“We have also been researching materials to filter out biological and chemical contaminants, so we had that pretext,” Tatarchuk said. “At the same time, we know the fuel cell is very sensitive to poisons, more sensitive, in fact, than human lungs. So, when we saw that this catalyst was doing so well for carbon monoxide with the fuel cells, we knew there was potential for the broader, human application.”

Carbon monoxide is a prevalent and deadly gas that kills thousands each year as a result of poor ventilation or fire in homes, factories, public buildings, high-rise office buildings, aircraft and vehicles.

Tatarchuk says that tests conducted under the authority of IntraMicron Inc. -- the firm who licensed the technology from Auburn University - suggest that MiniOx filters easily exceed standards for carbon monoxide-removal efficiency for fire-escape products set by the U.S. National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health, the American National Standards Institute & International Safety Equipment Association and the European Union.

But efficiency is just one advantage of Tatarchuk's filters over those currently in existence. In addition, the MiniOx filters are 10 times smaller than current models (4 mm thick as opposed to 45 mm thick), can last for “hours” as opposed to the 15-minute life of filters currently in use and are not affected by humidity.

The lesser thickness and the resistance to humidity make the MiniOx filter much easier to breathe through, Tatarchuk said. He foresees MiniOx being incorporated into light, folding masks that can be widely used. In addition, he said a MiniOx disk could be added to gas masks currently worn by military, first-responders and others whose masks currently include filters for hydrocarbons, acid gases and other contaminants, but not carbon monoxide.

“When you think of the World Trade towers and the people jumping out of buildings, that was happening because of the smoke and likely because the stairwells were already crowded with people who had died from smoke inhalation,” Tatarchuk said. “It's the same way in residential fires. Most people die from smoke inhalation, not the fire itself. If people in high-rises or in homes had access to these light, folding masks, we could potentially prevent a lot of the deaths that currently result from fires.”

In addition to its use in filters for masks, Tatarchuk said the material could also be used in air-circulation units (HVAC and others) to remove carbon monoxide from aircraft cabins (where it is identified as one of the three most problematic pollutants by the National Research Council) and from homes.