ExxonMobil Joins Global Center to Expedite Medical Innovation for Personal

Protective Equipment
On April 2020, ExxonMobil and the Global Center for Medical Innovation (GCMI) have
initiated multi-sector and joint development projects to rapidly redesign and manufacture
reusable personal protection equipment for health care workers, such as face shields and masks,
which are in short supply as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, health care workers are faced with a scarcity of protective face masks and shields, and the
supply chains to produce them are taxed to their limits.

To provide a solution to that problem, ExxonMobil team of experts in chemicals, materials

science and manufacturing is offering their experience to help a collaborative effort organized by
the Global Center for Medical Innovation. By quickly connecting its customers to solution
providers, ExxonMobil helped create a new supply chain to respond to the medical needs in
hospitals across the country.

This collaboration, which represents industry, academia and government, is rethinking how
protective medical equipment, specifically face shields and face masks, is made.

Initiation Phase

Goal: In response to the unprecedented challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, ExxonMobil
is applying its deep knowledge and experience with polymer-based technologies in combination
with GCMI to facilitate development and expedite third-party production of innovative safety
equipment that can be sterilized and worn multiple times.

Planning Phase

Scope: Health care workers are faced with a scarcity of protective face masks and shields.
Scaling solutions rapidly to address the global crisis requires significant investment, innovation
and collaboration

Talent Requirement and Raw materials: The experts from ExxonMobil, is providing their
technical expertise and polypropylene needed are delivered from the company’s manufacturing
sites in Baytown, Texas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The raw materials will be expedited, if
needed, for face mask assembly. The company will also facilitate supply chain interfaces to
expedite deployment.

Production forecast: Once approved, manufacturers indicate they will be able to produce as
many as 40,000 ready-to-use masks and filter cartridges per hour. After approval, production will
begin immediately, with ExxonMobil supporting the identification of manufacturers familiar
with the materials and process to quickly deliver the masks to doctors, nurses and health care
providers.
Execution Phase

Design: A new industrial-style mask is being fast-tracked for production. The design improves
coverage of a health care worker’s nose and mouth and will use a replaceable cartridge system
that includes a filtration fabric to prevent contact spread of the virus from the saturated filter. In
this design, the filters are disposable while the main component of the mask can withstand
repeated sterilization, thus prolonging the life-cycle of the product and addressing shortages of
N95 masks.

Another product developed by GCMI is a face shield made from high-grade polymers that can
withstand the harsh conditions of sterilization to enable reuse, while meeting the visibility and
safety requirements of current designs.

Production: So far, 50,000 face shields have been produced, and production facilities are
ramping up to manufacture upwards of 170,000 more per hour in the coming days. The
collaboration has also produced models for a new, reusable face mask design that will address
the shortage of N95 protective masks.

Specialized polypropylene monthly production increased by 1,000 tones; enough to make 200
million masks or 20 million gowns

Isopropyl alcohol monthly production increased by up to 3,000 tones; enough to make 50 million
bottles of hand sanitizer

Quality check by: Prototypes are currently being tested and reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration.

Project Review and Closure:

Reviewing the initiation phase and keep reviewing progress throughout the project.

References
1. Authors: Exxon Mobil Corporation
Source: Business Wire (English).
Date of publication: 04/02/2020.
Place of Event: IRVING, Texas
Accession Number: bizwire.bw7735215
2. https://www.med-technews.com/news/funding-awarded-to-make-custom-fitted-facemasks-
for-nhs/
3. https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/exxonmobil-and-medical-product-accelerator-
collaborate-to-produce-ppe/
4. https://www.chemengonline.com/exxonmobil-boosts-production-of-raw-materials-for-ppe-
and-sanitizers/