London, UK – July 14, 2020 – Element Materials Technology (Element) has received accreditation to develop new methodologies for face mask testing at its St Paul, Minnesota, US laboratory. 

The accredited methodologies for ASTM F2100 include testing for: particle filtration efficiency; flammability; differential pressure; and synthetic blood fluid penetration. Element’s team of experts has expanded the scope of its existing personal protective equipment (PPE) testing capabilities to meet the ASTM F2100 specification for medical face masks standards. 

The development of the testing program was initiated to support efforts and reduce time to market due to limited industry capacity. With unprecedented volumes of face masks needed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the automotive and industrials sectors have pivoted to manufacturing personal protective equipment (PPE) to support this demand. This accreditation further aligns our capabilities to support customers in these markets and our continued investment in medical device testing. 

John Nelson, EVP Transportation & Industrials at Element, commented: “We are proud to mobilize our resources to meet a critical need and make a significant impact in supporting US and European  healthcare professionals to drive down lead time. As a global business, Element continues to partner with companies from different industries to provide solutions for PPE testing. In the same way that other companies are flexing to enable the support of medical efforts, Element has been able to leverage its equipment and testing expertise to adjust to the needs of our automotive and industrials customers.” 

Face mask testing is only one example of the wide variety of services that St. Paul and the Element laboratory network can offer. With comprehensive testing capabilities for personal protective equipment and medical equipment, Element supports every stage of testing from initial feasibility to final production and regulatory submission testing. With our deep technical expertise and extensive resources, we can quickly respond to new testing or changing requirements. 

ENDS

About Element 
Element is one of the world’s leading independent providers of materials and product qualification testing, inspection and certification services to the global Aerospace; Transportation & Industrials; Energy; and Fire & Building Products sectors, where failure in service is simply not an option. 

We exist to help our customers make certain that their materials, products and systems are safe, quality, compliant and ultimately fit for purpose, leveraging almost 200 years of testing experience and our global testing capabilities.

On December 31, 2019 Element acquired PCTEST and announced the creation of a fifth sector – Connected Technologies – to provide leading global technology customers with wireless device and application testing and certification services.
 
Media contacts:
Diana Milford, External Communications Manager
T: +44 (0) 131 333 8052
E: diana.milford@element.com

Devan LaBrash, Pagoda Public Relations
T: +44 (0) 131 556 0770
E: devan.labrash@pagodapr.com