ZenGUARD-treated filters surpass air tests

With the final report for its Phase 2 testing of ZenGUARD for use in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning filtration from the National Research Council of Canada, Zentek Ltd. is priming itself to begin integrating its sterilizing ZenGUARD-treated filters to help mitigate risks from airborne viral transmission such as COVID-19.

"We believe our patented technology platform, ZenGUARD, is a disruptive technology for the HVAC industry, giving us the ability to help filter manufacturers significantly increase pathogen filtration efficiency of the most commonly used air filters," said Zentek CEO Greg Fenton. "The ZenGUARD technology is a simple and practical way to improve one of the biggest problems facing workspaces, planes, trains, buses and other indoor spaces: indoor air quality."

Conducted in NRC's unique bioaerosol facility, testing was done in a purpose-built modular room intended to simulate a real-world classroom environment.

Using Cystovirus Phi 6, a surrogate for enveloped viruses – including SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19 – it was found that ZenGUARD-treated MERV 8 filters achieved 34.56% filtration efficiency of the Phi 6 virus, a significant improvement from the 7.24% for untreated MERV 8 filters.

MERV 8, which stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value 8, is a rating for filters that captures at least 84.8% of particles between 0.3 and 10 microns and is most often used in typical home HVAC filtration systems.

"Many building and transportation system owners and operators do not have the ability or desire to bear the financial costs of upgrading to higher rated filters and HVAC systems," said Fenton. "Additionally, avoiding the increased energy consumption and maintenance costs associated with higher rated filters provides a strong environmental and economic incentive, further supporting the ZenGUARD value proposition."

With the success of this testing, Zentek has shared its phase-two report with federal and provincial organizations for their review and analysis of the results. The company hopes this is a step in the Innovation Solutions Canada commercialization pathway that could lead to potential agreements to begin selling ZenGUARD-coated HVAC filters to governmental organizations.

"For these reasons, we believe our patented ZenGUARD technology has the potential to not only protect people's health by removing more pathogens from the air we breathe, but to do so in a way that reduces financial burden and environmental footprint," finished Fenton.

Additionally, Zentek is also continuing to optimize its product offering by testing various configurations of HVAC filter materials coated with its technology at LMS technologies in the U.S. The company also aims to work with the Pest Management Regulatory Agency and the Environmental Protection Agency for regulatory approvals in both Canada and the U.S., respectively.